Fortuna Favet Fatuis
by FortunesRevolver
Summary: Formally known as Fortune no Hikari. Life is full of second chances, but not all mistakes can be corrected. If you were given the opportunity to go back in time and save the one you loved most from dying, would you take it? SoujixNaoto Full summary inside
1. Prologue: The Journey Begins

**Summary:** _Life is full of second chances, but not all mistakes can be corrected. If you were given the opportunity to go back in time and save the one you loved most from dying, would you take it? Even if it meant that person lost their memories of who you are and couldn't return the love that only your heart remembers?_

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Warning: Long but fairly important Author's Note ahead.**

The idea for this project came to me one Saturday after having spent the entire day (well, close to 24 hours) playing Persona 4 . Originally, I had considered not following through with this, as I felt I was copying the idea of another writer on that had written an AkiMina-New Game Plus version of Persona 3.

However, after looking back over the Persona 4 storyline and taking Souji's personality into account, I felt that I would be able to do this without copying what she did. After all, the Persona 3 and 4 storylines were quite different and Souji and Minato were hardly personality twins, so I was left with enough to play around with.

The story itself is somewhat slow at the start, but by chapter four is where things really start to pick up quickly and I start adding in more of my own events and extra scenes (though the 'zero chapter' and the other three before that have small twists to them) will begin to start and the fun begins (at least for me).

Saki Konishi was one of the biggest debates I had about changing around. Souji wouldn't needlessly let someone die, but I doubt he could get to the police station without Dojima being told. I also had to take into account that if Souji suddenly claimed he knew someone was going to die, a lot of questions he wouldn't be able to answer would be asked. So, to any and all Saki fans; I do apologize for not saving her. Yosuke would have lost a lot of his story and starting motivation for the entire case and I'd end up with a mess.

The debate to keep King Mor—ahem—Mr. Mooroka alive shifted both ways, and I wasn't sure _what_ to do with him. I considered simply allowing him to die, but then I thought that would make Souji look bad. However, given that if Mooroka didn't die an entire arc and crucial part of the storyline would disappear, I had to come up with some form of a compromise. I can't say I'm perfectly happy with what I have, but it was better than Souji standing still and saying, "Screw it. Let the man die."

As for Nanako… THAT debate took me the longest. In the end, I figured something out that would work for the favor of this story, without making it look as if Souji didn't care about his cousin, which we all know he does.

This story is written assuming the **BAD ENDING.** The **VERY** bad ending, which ends with Nanako dying (and staying dead) and Naoto calling Souji in a panic about the Shadows and the last thing he hears… well… If no one knows what I am talking about, then PM me and I'll provide the YouTube link so that this story makes more sense to you. In fact, I'd recommend watching it… despite the eeriness of it.

_Well, now that that is out of the way… Let us move on to what is more important._

Obviously, _**I don't own Persona 4**_. If I did, I doubt it would have been a story as amazing as the one we all know and love. However, had I come across the means of having some influence of the story, I can assure you, I would have attempted to make SoujixNaoto cannon (like Minato and Aigis). I only own the storyline for this, which I pray doesn't come out poorly (although the first few chapters will follow the game fairly closely until I have more characters to work with.) Once I reach the start of Kanji's arc, I'll REALLY be able to get into the storyline that I had planned for this.

Standard warnings: language, violence, sexual themes, etc. Nothing you wouldn't expect in a Persona game. This **WILL** be a **SoujixNaoto** story and no amount of reviews will change that or convince me to do otherwise. I **will not** have Souji go out with two girls and he **will not** end up in a homosexual relationship. (For the record, I think SoujixYosuke is cute, it has nothing to do with homophobia.)

I apologize to anyone who wanted otherwise, but I do hope you are all kind enough to grace me with reading this story anyway… as it took up a good portion of my summer to write. I also neglected studying for a few finals because of this story… but I passed them regardless, in case you wish to know.

_I believe I've said everything that needs said. Let's begin, shall we?_

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**Prologue: **_Tabi wo Kaishi ("The Journey __Begins")_

The soft sounds of a car motor running filled the ears of a young silver-haired teenager. A black veil of darkness obscured his vision as he looked around, unnerved at the lack of sight. He was moving, that much he was sure of, but he was equally sure that he'd just been standing on the platform of a train station, surrounded by the smiling faces of friends.

He frowned as he pressed a hand to his eyes and tried to remember the faces clearly, but only blurred masses of color surfaced to his mind. He shook his head, as if willing the images to clarify and form correctly in his mind's eye, but the effect was like throwing water on a chalk drawing. He sighed in frustration and closed his eyes, startling as he leaned back and felt his back hit something soft.

_What on…?_ Opening his eyes, the silverette blinked rapidly, looking around his new settings, clearly startled. He was in a car, a limo from the looks of it. The cushions of the seats were a deep royal blue, glowing faintly in the overhead lighting. Glasses sparkled next to half empty bottles of what appeared to be sake and wine on a table a few feet in front of him on the right side of the vehicle. More bottles sat sealed on two shelves that ran up the length of the left side of the car with a small counter above the shelves.

Looking out the window, the silverette's eyes widened faintly. Where he had expected scenery of some form, he only saw a swirling mist of silver and purple. The mist appeared to be moving past the window, as if the limo, which was obviously in motion, was moving through it.

He shifted his gaze as something moved from the corner of his eyes, finally noticing the presence of the other two in the car. A woman with shoulder length pale blonde hair, held back with a black headband, sat with her head bowed and eyes closed. Next to her, an elderly gentleman with snow white hair that fell down to his shoulders around his head, leaving the top bald, sat with his white-gloved hands clasped tightly together in front of his mouth, nearly completely hidden by a nose that was of an inhuman size. Like the female, his eyes were shut and his head bowed downward.

The car jumped as it hit a bump, and as if the jolt worked as a spark of life, the two moved. First the female; her head straightened and her eyes opened, revealing pale golden orbs. The elderly gentleman moved shortly after she did, lifting his head slowly, closed eyes opening to allow beady-black bloodshot irises to meet the silverette's pale ones. The man grinned, sending an unpleasant shiver down the teen's spine as he stared, unable to pull his gaze away.

"Welcome…" the snow-haired man said in silky voice that was both eerie and familiar at the same time. "…to the Velvet Room."

The silverette blinked, his mouth hanging slightly open as he took in the appearance of the bizarre-looking man. His eyes darted momentarily toward the blonde again before returning his gaze to the male. _Have I… meet them before? What is…? This room… I know it, I'm sure of it. I've been here before but… When?_

"Ah…" the old man chuckled. "It seems we have a guest with a very interesting destiny. My name is Igor. I am delighted to see you again, young contractor."

The teen frowned, tilting his head in confusion. How did the man know who he was? Another blurred image flickered before his eyes, the colors matching those of the sharp sight before him. _Again…? Then... I do know him? But when did I…?_

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter… It is a room that only those bound by a 'contract' may enter… It is very possible that such a fate will once again meet you in the near future." The man chuckled again, leaning forward in his seat with interest. "Now then… Why don't you introduce yourself…?"

"…You seem to know who I am already. Wouldn't that mean you already know my name, ah… Igor-san?"

Igor chuckled heartily, nodding slowly.

"My, my… It seems you haven't lost any of your wit or charm in the days that have passed, young Souji Seta. Rather, I should say the days that have gone back."

"Master? Do you… know why this boy was sent here again? Can time really repeat itself like this?"

The old man was silent as he clasped his hands together again, looking at Souji intently. His black eyes moved up and down the silverette, as if carefully taking in the boy's appearance. He smiled faintly and shrugged, looking both amused and excited at the same time.

"Well now, be the answer yes or no, it seems our guest has returned to us and not a day older then the first time he arrived here. Ehehehe… Who knows what sort of wonders this will bring… Although it seems our young contractor has lost his memories of what has happened… Or shall I say, they've been lost in the _fog._"

Souji blinked, something in the back of his mind sparking at the word 'fog', but nothing would form fully in his head. Pushing the thought back for later, he leaned back in his seat quietly and waited for Igor to continue.

"Well now, let's take a look into your future, shall we?" Igor's smile grew as he waved his hand over the small circular table in front of him once, a deck of glowing blue tarot cards appearing in the center. Several flew off the top of the deck and landed face down in a half-circle around the deck with a second wave. "Do you believe in fortune telling? Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the result is always different. Life itself follows the same principles, doesn't it?"

"…Yeah, strange that." Souji muttered, staring at the facedown cards. _Why can't I remember where I've seen all this before…? Those cards… The first one was… Tower, upright._

Reaching for the first card, Igor turned it over, giving the card a look of interest before grinning up at Souji and speaking. "Hm… The Tower, in the upright position represents the near future; it seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent."

_Yet he doesn't look upset or worried about this at all…_ Souji thought dully, fighting the urge to shake his head. _Is everything a game to this guy? Anyway… the next should be the… Moon?_

"The card indicating the future beyond that is…" The snow-haired man reached for the second card and flipped it over, smiling. "The Moon, in the upright position."

Souji blinked, looking startled as he stared at the cards. _I was… right? But how? I've never been in this room, let alone seen those cards before. So why does this all look so…!?_

"This card represents 'hesitation' and 'mystery'… Very interesting indeed. It seems you will encounter a misfortune at your destination and a mystery will be imposed upon you once more."

_Once more… Again… He keeps speaking as if this is the past. He knows something… but he isn't going to tell me what it is._ Frustration danced in Souji's eyes as he stared at the cards, trying to piece together the fogged memories in his mind, but it was like trying to put together the pieces of two separate puzzles when blind.

"In the coming days, you will enter into a contract of some sort, after which you will return here. I'm sure you've already figured this out, but the coming year will be important yet again in your destiny. If the mystery remains unsolved… your future may be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance for our guests to ensure that this does not happen."

_He's doing a fine job…_ Souji thought bitterly. _I don't even think I've boarded the train yet and I'm already as lost as confused as a guy can get…_

Sighing softly, Souji returned his attention to Igor as the elder gentleman waved his hands over the cards again, making them disappear. He gestured to the woman next to him, smiling brightly.

"Ah! I have neglected to introduce my assistant to you. This is Margaret. She is a resident of this place, like myself."

"My name is Margaret. I am here to accompany you through your journey." The female spoke up, turning her attention to Souji with a blank look upon her delicate features.

"Margaret…" Souji repeated with a polite nod. _Margaret… Margaret… I know the name. But I didn't know anyone named Margaret at my previous schools. Then… I must know her as well._

"We shall attend to the details another time," Igor chuckled, sensing Souji's confusion and frustration with the situation. He waved his hand through the air, and Souji's vision suddenly began to blur, making the silverette panic slightly. "Until then, farewell..."

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"_I'm tired of diets and going to the gym! Good thing there's something even I can handle!"_ A giggle followed the peppy female voice, the commercial causing Souji to jerk violently from his thoughts. He blinked slowly, his vision clearing and revealing the floor of a train station.

"_And we're back with some juicy news! The Mayumi Yamano scandal. When we first…"_ The voice of the announcer was drowned out as people standing around the television-covered wall began speaking to one another about the current news broadcast. Behind Souji, two males were speaking rather loudly about the case, talking about the ones involved in a negative light.

_Mayumi Yamano… She's a reporter, right? That name… where have I heard it? It wasn't the TV, it was… it was…_

"Hey, kid, are you alright?" Souji blinked and turned, giving the man next to him a questioning glance.

"I… beg your pardon?"

"Are you alright? You really zoned out for a minute there. I thought you were gonna fall forward onto the tracks. If you're sick, I can go alert the first-aid station."

"Ah… N-no. I'm alright. I just… have a lot on my mind, that's all. Thanks for your concern."

"…If you're sure, kid. The subway will be here soon. Take it easy, okay?"

"Y-yeah. Thank you, goodbye." Souji shook his head nervously as the man walked off, trying to push away the thoughts that were shoving at the corners of his mind. _Was it... all a dream?_

A loud squeal of wheels announced the arrival of the subway car. The soft hiss of the breaks followed by a loud beeping signaled that the doors had opened. Souji was pushed forward as people began to board and he found himself unable to obtain a seat as more people pushed inside. He grabbed onto one of the hanging handles as the car began to move and stared dully out the window in front of him, trying to find something to distract himself from reminders of the dark room.

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_Another year, another school… At least the uniforms for this one are more comfortable. I hated having to wear a tie everyday with the old suit uniforms_. A silent, dry laugh escaped the silverette's lips as he stared dully out the window of the fast-moving subway car. _They all sounded so upset when the teacher announced I had to leave… but not a single one of them knew much of anything about me beyond my name and that I'd come from Tokyo originally. Heh… It isn't as if my parents know much more than they do. I feel like a rag-doll, tossed into a new pair of arms every year._ He sighed softly, leaning back in his chair.

"I suppose it'll be nice to be in a small town this time, rather than a large city. That means less people…" _And less people means fewer strings to cut when I leave again. I suppose I'll have to be careful around my Uncle and cousin, but I guess if I can nail myself a small job, that'll solve that problem. They'll just think… I'm shy or something._

Something vibrated in Souji's pocket, pulling him back down to the real world. His hand moved silently into his jacket and produced a black, newly released model of cell-phone. The mini-screen on the front held a picture of an envelope with the number '1' shining brightly in black at the center. He flipped open the phone, briefly reading over the name of the sender.

"Dojima…? That's my Uncle..."

'_Meet us outside Yasoinaba Station at 4pm.'_

"…Inaba, huh? The countryside… I wonder what it'll be like."

"_We will arrival at the Yasogami terminal in a few minutes,"_ a pensive voice announced over the train's PA system. _"Passengers headed for Inaba City and Yasoinaba station, please move to the other side of the platform."_

_That's me…_ Souji thought as he stood up, reaching for his duffle-bag in the overhead storage rack.

Following the rest of the passengers, Souji slipped off the train with ease and made his way across the cement boarding station and boarded the next train, noting that very few people followed him aboard the train. _Guess the countryside isn't that popular. Go figure._

Finding a seat in a car alone, Souji tossed his duffle into the overhead rack again and sat down, draping his arm lazily over the armrest. He sighed heavily, leaning forward faintly in his seat to get a better view of the world outside. _Sometimes, I wonder what would happen if I just didn't get off the train… Would anyone notice? Would anyone care? If I could just keep riding forever…_

Souji couldn't help but take note of how calming everything looked as the cities began less and less complicated. The buildings were becoming more spread apart and nature slowly filling the gaps between them. The scenery disappeared as the train went into a tunnel, leaving Souji with only the light of the white florescent headlamps above him.

The silver eyes never left the dark shadows outside the train and he suddenly felt himself growing tired. His eyes flickered shut briefly, his shoulders relaxing as his retinas were spared the harsh light of the lamps. The darkness behind his eyelid quickly disappeared as staticky, yet sharp images flashed before his mind. A woman dressed in blue with pale blonde hair and an old gentleman with white gloves, snowy hair, and a large nose. The images looked as if they'd come from a TV channel with poor signal and yet…

His eyes snapped open again, widening as he stared at the empty seat in front of him, the deep blue material of the seat giving him an eerie reminder of the 'room' he'd been sitting in before even boarding the subway.

"W-what the hell…?" he muttered, feeling a bead of sweat roll down his cheek. "What on earth was-?"

The train-car was suddenly filled with natural light again and the few remaining buildings that had been something of a small city were gone. Trees and dirt had replaced the buildings and roads, surrounded by the lively green grass that almost looked as if it were a brilliant orange under the glow of the setting sun.

The car began to shake slightly as it passed over a white marble bridge, and Souji felt the pace he was traveling at slow. _Guess I'm here…_

He stood up and grabbed his duffle, glancing briefly at his leather wristwatch. _Right on time…_ He thought as the train came to a stop and the doors opened. _Four-o-clock exactly.._

"_Yasoinaba. Yasoinaba." _A man announced over the PA as he stepped off the train, glancing around slowly.

The station was clean and well kept, but empty. Its older look implied that not many people left or entered the area, which didn't surprise the silverette at all.

Shouldering his duffle-bag, he took in a deep breath before exhaling slowly, preparing himself for yet another year of disappointment.

_Get ready, Souji. Just take the first step and get over. What's one more year? Live and move on. You'll be leaving before you know it and be tossed into another box. After all… you're just a rag-doll, waiting to be thrown into someone else's toy box for a year._

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**Beta's Note:** Despite her misgivings, Naoto (FortunesRevolver) has graciously allowed me (Chie, if you need a name to call me by) a Beta's Note. I'll keep it short. All I really want to say is… €URO. Thank you, and good night.

**Author's Note:** Chie (ToastedWhiskers), after reading your _obviously_ long-thought out Beta's note, I have carefully pieced together a response for you.  
The steak is a lie, and I ate yours.  
Please look forward to the next chapter, everyone. **_I will upload the next chapter once I receive ten reviews._**

**Chie: **Naoto, after reading your lies (the steak is never a lie), I have decided to grace you with a response.  
California rolls. I have them. I am eating them. They are yummy.  
Please ignore my idiocy and enjoy the next chapter, all.

**Naoto:** Chie… I wish many empty Yosuke-wallets upon you.

**Chie: **Nonsense, I use his money to buy _you_ sushi.

**Naoto: **That is of no threat… I have Senpai's wallet.

~Dojima Residence~  
**Souji:** -sneezes-


	2. Déjà vu?

I really didn't think I'd end up updating this soon... I was surprised to wake up this morning and find my inbox full of reviews and notices that people had set this story for update alerts. I must admit, I'm not complaining... it really pleases me to know that so many people are interested in seeing where this goes. As promised, here is the update I said I would give after ten reviews (the quota was reached before 9:30 this morning after having uploaded chapter one around midnight) and I hope it is entertaining enough for you all.

Before I go any further, I must address a subject that many people have touched upon. While I agree with some of the ideas that people have given me regarding Saki Konishi, unfortunately, Souji does not gain his memories back until _after_ Saki's death, therefore he doesn't remember her death until it's too late. Had he gotten his memories back sooner, I would have come up with _something_ to do with her, but as the original plan came out differently and I was able to write a much better story from there, I left her dead...

I'm still using the same investigation team, but I'll be tweaking certain events, as well as removing some and adding more--hopefully in a way that you'll all enjoy.

I must say, however, I find it slightly amusing that people were protesting Saki's unsaved death, but no one cared if Mr. Morooka died or not--though I can understand why.

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**Chapter One:** _Déjà vu?_

Souji walked out of the main station, glancing around the main roads that lead towards the town. He frowned slightly and glanced at his watch; it was just a few minutes after four. _Are they late…?_

"Hey! Over here!"

The silverette turned as a male's voice called out. He made his way down the stairs quickly and approached a man who looked to be in is early thirties, dressed in a gray shirt, dark red tie and dark brown slacks. Behind him, a young girl with brunette hair tied up with pink ribbons in pigtails stood, her right hand gripping the man's shirt tightly. Her long-sleeved dress was white from the chest up, brown around the waist and pink at the skirt. Short white socks rose several inches from her ankles and pink shoes, finishing off the adorable girlish look.

The man held out his hand as Souji approached, a friendly smile showing off white teeth. His grip was firm, the silverette noted as they shook hands. The man's smile grew as they broke apart and he began to speak again. "Well, you're much more handsome in person than in your photo. Welcome to Inaba, I hope your trip out here was alright. I'm Ryotaro Dojima, I'll be looking after you." The man paused, tilting his head to the head slightly. "Well, let's see… I'm your mother's younger brother and… that's all, really."

_Dojima…_ The name played over in Souji's mind several times. _Dojima… Where do I know the name? I know my mother mentioned him on occasion, but the last time he saw me I was a baby, right? How could I remember a face from so long ago? _

"It's good to see you again." Souji spoke without thinking, "I hope you've been well."

Dojima laughed again, the grin reforming on his face. "So you remember me? The last time I saw you, I was changing your diaper. Haha, I hope you don't mind me saying, but I'm glad we're meeting now that you're older. You were a cute kid, very sweet… but no one has a fun time changing diapers."

Souji offered the older man a small smile and a nod, his face completely masking the thoughts rushing through his mind. _He's friendly, I'll give him that. Still, his smile… I know that smile. One that used to look at me from behind a newspaper… Dojima and… that little girl… her name was… _

Reaching behind him, Dojima pushed the small girl forward gently, urging her to greet Souji. "This is my daughter... Come on now, Nanako. Introduce yourself to your cousin."

Nanako stepped forward, looking up at Souji nervously. Her eyes wouldn't meet his face, opting to look at his shoulder instead. She swayed back and forth on the balls of her feel, a dark blush spreading across her cheeks as she muttered a quiet, '…'lo,' before darting behind her father again.

"Huh?" Dojima chuckled, "What're you so shy for? He isn't going to bite you."

Nanako growled softly in protest, the blush darkening as she raised a tiny fist, striking Dojima in the small of the back.

"Ow! Ahaha…" Ryotaro laughed lightly as he shook his head. "A-anyway… Let's get going. My car is just over here… Follow me."

Souji followed his relatives to the car, dropping his belongings into the trunk when Dojima opened it for him before slipping inside. The ride into town was quiet, few words were exchanged between the three of them, yet the atmosphere hadn't gotten awkward at any point.

"This is the Central Shopping District," Dojima explained as turned down a long stretch of paved road, pulling into a gas station at the south end. "All sorts of shops around here and good food too, it's usually around here or the local supermarket that most kids your age hang out after school."

The ignition died as Dojima pulled the keys from the car and stepped out, stretching his back and mumbling under his breath. An attendant from the station ran toward the car, a wide grin spread across their pale face as she spoke up in a deep, faintly feminine voice.

"Hi! Welcome to Moel!"

Dojima nodded to the attendant before turning to Nanako, offering the girl a concerned glance. "Can you get to the bathroom by yourself?"

Nanako nodded and walked around the car slowly, glancing back and forth as she attempted to locate the bathroom.

"It's in the back to your left." The attendant piped up helpfully, still grinning. "Do you know which way is left? The side you don't hold your chopsticks in."

"I know!" Nanako pouted, looking hurt. "Geez…" She looked at her father once before turning and running toward the station.

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Souji opened his door and stepped out of the car, pleased to be on his legs again. _My entire body is sore…_

"Are you taking a trip?" The Moel worker asked, glancing at Souji in curiosity.

"No," Dojima shook his head. "We just went to pick him up. He'll be staying with us for a while, he just moved in from the big city."

"The city, huh…?" The attendant's grin faded as they stared at Souji, their head tilted faintly in thought.

"Fill up my car while you're at it. Regular."

The attendant jumped and turned to Dojima, saluting him. "Right away, Sir!"

Dojima glanced off into the distance, a thoughtful look on his face.

"I guess now is a good as time as any for a smoke…" he muttered as he wondered off to the edge of the sidewalk.

_He smokes?_ Souji frowned, watching as Dojima produced a small white box and a lighter. _Should he really have a habit like that when he's got a kid? At least he has the sense not to light up over here or near Nanako…_

"So, you're a teenager?"

Souji turned to the attendant, nodding silently.

"Does it surprise a city-boy like you that there's so little to do around here?" The attendant was grinning again. "It gets boring pretty fast since there's almost nothing to do around here. You'll either be hanging out with friends or working part-time jobs. It's all there is to keep people busy around here. We_ are_ looking for some part time help around here, you know. Give it some thought if you get bored, okay? If you're a student, I'm sure no one around here will mind."

The Moel worker held out their hand, the odd grin having lost none of its power. Souji glanced down at the attendant's hand hesitantly. A chill ran up his spine, and something about the friendly gesture suddenly seemed deadly. He extended his own hand slowly, taking the offered handshake, repressing a shudder as what felt like an electric shock ran up his arm.

"Oh…" the attendant pulled away, looking worried. "I should get back to work."

Silver eyes followed the attendant's slender figure before approaching footsteps pulled him back from his thoughts. Souji turned, blinking as he realized Nanako was staring at him as she attempted to hide herself behind the car's hood. He opened his mouth to speak, when a sudden wave of nausea slammed into him at full force.

He gagged, a hand flying to his forehead as he shut his eyes tightly. The electric tingling feeling had spread to his entire body and it felt like a small fire had been lit in his veins. He growled softly as a dull throbbing sensation started in his head, causing his vision to blur. Bile rose in his throat and he gulped, images beginning to flash across his mind once more, but they were too many of them too quickly for his mind to process what it had seen.

"…Are you okay?"

All at once, everything seemed to stop. The throbbing faded and the electric tingle stopped. The dull burning feeling in his throat was quickly disappearing and he was left with only the feeling of dizziness as he fought to keep upright.

"…Did you get carsick? You don't look so good."

Souji looked down, blinking rapidly to clear his blurred vision. Nanako's voice seemed far away, her words slowly registering themselves in his mind. He shook his head slowly, smiling faintly as Nanako glanced up at him, looking worried.

"I'm alright, Nanako. Let's get back in the car, your dad will be back soon."

"Oh… okay." Nanako nodded and ran around to the other side, climbing back into her seat.

_What… the hell was that?_ Souji thought as he shut his door, pressing his head against the glass as it began to throb again. _Carsick? Is that all? I do feel dizzy but… Those other feelings… That couldn't have been from car sickness, could it? No… That's definitely not it. It's something else, I'm sure of it. That attendant… Why do I feel as if I've met them before? It's just like with Igor. Familiar, yet I can't seem to remember where it is that—_

"We're here."

Souji jumped and jerked upward, staring out his window in shock.

"Wh—huh?"

"We're here…?" Doijima repeated, looking confused. "Did you fall asleep? This is our house… You'll be staying here for the year."

"O-oh. Right, sorry, I… ah… Just got lost in thought." Souji climbed out of the car, grabbing his duffle bag from the trunk and followed Dojima and Nanako around to the front.

The house was traditionally styled, and a deep chocolate brown in color. Standing two stories tall, it looked to be made of wood, but upon brushing his hand over one of the outer walls, the smooth texture implied that it was made of something else. The room was made of clay tiling, its color as dark as the house it sat on. It looked normal enough, but Souji couldn't help but notice the somewhat distant feeling the house held.

_Does it matter what it feels like?_ Souji thought as he followed his relatives through the front door. _It's just a house, not a home. Nothing more than a roof over my head… Just another toy box I've been thrown in for the year._

Nanako began to set the table the moment they walked into the door. Dojima took Souji's bag upstairs with a small grin and told him to have a seat. Souji hesitated—he'd been sitting down all day, but he didn't trust his legs to hold him much longer as his head throbbed violently again.

The teen walked into the kitchen, taking the armful of drinks Nanako was attempting to balance in her arms and took them to the table. He slowly lowered himself cross legged onto one of the royal purple cushions and sighed, shutting his eyes as he felt another sharp throb through his skull. _What… the hell is going on?_

"Are you two ready to eat?"

Souji jumped, pulled from his thoughts as he glanced at Dojima watching as the older gentleman sat down, awed at the sudden appearance of food at the table. _When did…?_ He shook his head, pushing the thoughts away. They didn't matter anyway.

"So… Your mom and dad are busy as always… They're working overseas now, aren't they?"

Souji nodded silently, nibbling at the food on his plate as he waited for Dojima to continue.

"Must be rough… having to move around constantly because of your parents and to be stuck here in a place like Inaba no less. It's just Nanako and me here, so it'll be nice to have someone else around. There isn't much, but as long as you're here, you're part of the family. Make yourself at home."

The silverette smiled faintly, nodding. "Thank you for your kindness…"

Dojima laughed warmly, shaking his head. "Hey now, there's no need to be formal here. I'm a cop, but I'm still your uncle. Be as casual as you like, no one is going to get offended… Well then, let's eat."

The meal had been fairly quiet. Dojima and Nanako asked Souji simple questions about himself, and answered his about the town. As Souji finished the last bites of his meal, a shrill beeping filled the room and his uncle cursed softly.

"Ugh… Who the hell is calling at this hour?" Producing a phone, he pressed the receiver to his ear, forcing a professional tone. "…Dojima speaking." He stood up and walked away from the table, keeping his back to Souji and Nanako.

"…Is this normal?" Souji asked quietly, noting the depressed look in Nanako's eyes.

The young brunette nodded, sighing softly as she stood up, waiting for her father to finish.

"I see… So where is it? …Fine. I'm on my way…" Turning around, Dojima gave the two an apologetic look, pocketing his phone. "I don't know how late I'll be, so don't wait up. Nanako, you help him out, okay?"

Nanako nodded again, her shoulders slumping slightly as her father walked toward the door. The sound of rain filled the house as the door was opened and Dojima's face appeared in the entryway again.

"Nanako, it's raining out. What did you do with the laundry?"

"I already brought it in."

"Ah… okay. Thanks. I'm off!"

Souji stared at Nanako, his eyes widening in shock. _Laundry? Isn't… isn't she six? I didn't even do my own laundry at six. Although… I did cook almost all my own meals at her age._

_"—for this week. Now let's…"_ The teen jumped, not realizing Nanako had turned the TV on. He glanced at the screen, where a woman in her mid-twenties in a red suit was giving a weather report.

_"—storm clouds moving in from the west, expect rain throughout the day tomorrow in most areas."_

Nanako's eyes lingered on the television for a moment before returning to her meal, an awkward silence hanging over the room. Souji shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not liking the thick atmosphere between them. _She's only six… Would it really hurt that much to be friendly? Even if I'm only here for a year… she **is** my cousin._

"It must be tough."

"Huh?" The brunette looked up, confused. She tilted her head in question, a small frown tugging at her small lips.

"It… must be tough." Souji repeated, "Not having your dad around a lot. It seems like you do a lot of the housework around here."

Nanako nodded. "Yeah… I can do laundry, and cook eggs and toast… But dad isn't always gone. He helps me clean the house sometimes when he's home."

"I see…"

The TV screen flickered before changing from the weather woman to a man in a suit behind a desk. He cleared his throat and shuffled his papers before speaking. _"And now for the local news. City council man Taro Namatame is under fire for an alleged relationship with a female reporter. His wife, enka ballad sensation Misuzu Hiragi, revealed to this station that she will likely pursue damages."_

Souji raised an eyebrow, absently sipping at his drink as he watched the pictures that flashed across the screen as the reporter spoke. _That case again…? That's the one I saw on TV when I was at the station. I don't understand why the media has to make such a big deal out of it. So the man cheated on his wife… It happens all the time—as sick as that is. They're following it like he committed murder. Is their love life really any of our business?_

"This is boring…" Nanako muttered, reaching for the remote again.

_"At Junes, everyday is Customer Appreciation Day. Come see for yourself and get in touch with our products! Every day's great at your Junes!"_

Souji froze, his cup tilted upward as liquid drained into his mouth, causing the silverette to choke. Images flashed before his eyes again, quick and faint clips of a place he'd never been to before—a food court with white tables. He was sitting at one, surrounded by a group of faceless people who looked to be close to his age, all laughing together with him. _W-what the hell!?_

"Every day's great at your Junes!" Nanako sang happily from the other side of the table, causing Souji to look over at her. He smiled weakly, watching the young brunette sway left and right in rhythm as she hummed the stores jingle over and over again.

Standing up, Souji gathered his dishes and deposited them into the kitchen sink. He sighed, rubbing his forehead as he tried to rid himself of the headache that had yet to go away. Dubbing his efforts useless, he walked toward the stairs, pausing as he touched the railing.

"Nanako? I'm going to head upstairs, alright? I'll probably head to bed soon as well…"

"Oh… okay." Nanako nodded, waving at Souji. "Goodnight… Your door is the first one on the right, next to the bathroom."

"Right, thanks. Goodnight, Nanako."

Making his way up the stairs, Souji quickly located his room and slipped inside, leaning against the door as he shut it behind himself. _Maybe it's the change in environment? I'm exhausted… _He glanced around, groaning faintly as he realized he would have to unpack all the boxes sitting in stacks around the room.

"…I'll worry about it tomorrow. I just want to go to sleep. Thank god the futon is already set up." _I guess Dojima knows what it's like to travel._

Fishing around in his duffle, Souji produced his pajamas and spare uniform. The uniform was tossed onto the arm of the couch as the one he was currently wearing was discarded to the back of the chair sitting at his desk. He pulled on his pajamas and turned off the light, quickly climbing into the warm futon and sighing in content.

"I guess… This is where I'll be living for the next year." _School starts tomorrow as well… Normally I have at least a day to settle before I have to hit the books._ "I wonder—" he yawned, "—if everything will work out alright…"

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Souji groaned softly, trying to move his limbs. His entire body felt numb, leaving him dazed and confused as he took in his surroundings. Everywhere he turned there was a thick, white fog that obscured his vision, leaving his range of sight only a few inches away from his face. He blinked, standing up slowly as the numbness faded from his body and glanced around once more.

_What on earth…? This is… fog?_ He extended a hand forward, as if to grab at the white substance around him. The air was thick, but dry. It felt cool and he shivered under the fabric of his uniform. _When did I…? Is this a dream? It must be. I changed out of my uniform and… I was in bed, right?_

He lowered his hand, resting it casually on his hip as he looked at the ground, tapping his foot against the strange brick-like road below his feet. A dull clapping sound echoed around him, the sound fading slowly into the white mist. He raised an eyebrow and glanced around again. From what he could tell, the road only led forward and the fog was far too thick to try venturing in any other direction.

"…I guess I'm stuck with going forward."

The silverette stepped forward, breaking into a slow run as he followed the dim outline of the red path. His shoes clicked loudly against the ground, sounding like the soft rhythm of a ticking clock. He quickened his pace, skidding across the red surface as the road suddenly turned. He stumbled, but caught himself before he fell, carefully turning down the curve and proceeding forward.

_"...Back again? Didn't you learn the first time how futile your efforts are? Well... no matter. It will end the same way as before."_

Souji jerked violently, stopping abruptly and looking around. _W-what the-? Is someone here? And… Wait, did they say… "again"?_ The teen's breath was coming out in low, sharp gasps. He turned around fully, slowly taking everything in, but the fog rendered his observations useless.

A loud chuckle filled the air. _"Do you seek the truth…?"_

"Damn… I can't see anything with this fog." Straining his ears, Souji shut his eyes and listened carefully for any signs of movement, but he could hear was the pounding of blood in his ears and his own breath.

With a small growl of aggravation, he started forward again at a sprint, determined to find where the voice was coming from.

"Where is—"

_"If it's the truth you desire, come and find me…"_

Souji froze, his eyes wide as he stared at the path in front of him. The voice was just ahead, he could hear it clearly now. The speaker couldn't be more than a few yards away. Souji gulped and stepped forward hesitantly, a chill running down his spine. _…Is my body trying to warn me to turn back? No… It doesn't matter. Warning or not… I want to find that voice._

Standing up straight, the teen sprinted down the road again, nearly colliding with a crimson and black wall that suddenly appeared in front of him through the fog. He stood stock-still, his face inches away from the walls surface. His eyebrows knit together in frustration as he looked around, confused at the sudden end in road.

"How am I…?" he trailed off, staring at the wall. "Could it be that this is… a door?"

He reached out, pressing his palm against the cool surface in front of him. It vibrated and he immediately moved back, watching as the wall merged and collapsed within itself, folding out and forming a small pathway between the road Souji currently stood on and the one ahead.

"…Just a few more steps." He murmured, moving forward, almost as if in a trance. "It's just ahead…"

The silverette took another step forward and the fog shifted, swirling around him until his vision was completely obscured by white. He gasped sharply and raised a hand to block his eyes, but his hands were already wrapped around something cool. He didn't remember having anything with him when he came in, and he looked down.

"A… sword?" He gaped at the blade in his hands, shaking his head as if expected the sword to suddenly fade out and leave him with only the fog.

The weapon was heavy, but light enough that he was confident he could move around with it. It was a basic-style katana with a long silver blade that extended almost three feet. The handle was dark, wrapped in a thin fabric designed for helping the user keep a strong grip around the hilt. Movement in the corner of his eye alerted the teen that someone else was there with him, and he looked up, gasping silently as he stared at a faded figure standing several feet in front of him.

_"So… You are the one pursuing me, yet again…"_ the voice was clearer now, easy to hear. It didn't echo as it did before, but the tone of the voice was completely blank. Not high, but not deep, leaving it impossible to determine a gender or even an age from it. It was almost as if, whoever it was, was speaking inside his mind, rather than out loud.

Souji opened his mouth to speak, to argue that he didn't even know who this person was and demand to know why he would be pursing them, but his throat seemed to tighten each time he tried and his voice failed to work.

_"Hmhmhm… Try all you like…"_

Souji tensed, his body sending him messages he didn't understand. It was as if it knew what to do, while his mind didn't. He closed his eyes, relaxing his tense muscles before opening them again, allowing his body to do as it pleased.

He darted forward, his legs carrying him toward the figure as his arms raised the blade, bringing it down hard upon the figure. He jumped back, frowning as realized his blade had done nothing.

_"Hmmm… It seems that you can see a little, despite the fog…"_

_Obviously not enough…_ Souji thought bitterly, glaring at the unknown being in front of him.

Something stirred in the back of his mind and he relaxed again, a black glowing card appearing in front of him. His eyes narrowed and he reached for the card, crushing it in his hand. Something exploded in the back of his mind and a dark figure darted forward from somewhere behind him, raising an arm in the air as a bolt of lightning came down on the figure, but again, nothing happened.

_"I see…"_ the figure paused, appearing to tilt its head in curiosity. _"Indeed, you truly do possess an interesting quality…"_

Souji growled again in frustration and the card appeared a second time. This time the dark figure flew forward, slamming into the figure head-on, but despite the sound that indicated an obvious collision, it appeared as if the damage had been little to none.

_"But… you will not catch me so easily…"_ the figure continued to speak, as if being attacked meant absolutely nothing, making the teen growl again. They didn't see him as a threat at all. _"If what you seek is the 'truth' then your search will be even harder…"_

Souji opened his mouth to protest, to ask for some form of an explanation, but again, his voice refused to work for him. His hands tightened around the blade's handle as the figure glowed, a soft hissing filling the air as thick fog seemed to pour forth from the being in front of him.

The teen took a step back, shutting his eyes reflexively and regretting it the moment they opened again. The fog had more than doubled and now it was nearly impossible to make out his hands. _Great, just… great._

_"Everyone sees what they want to... And the fog only deepens."_

_What on earth is this thing talking about!?_ He tensed and stepped forward slowly, spinning the swords grip in his hands slowly. _I can't see anything… It's gotten harder to hear too. So where...? _

He lunged sideways, swinging his sword sharply as he noticed a shadow moving slowly to his left. The blade sliced through the fog, connecting only with air as a soft chuckle filled the area. He turned and slashed again, blindly swinging his sword before the voice spoke again, making the silverette freeze.

_"Will we meet again…? Hmhmhm… I look forward to it."_ The voice seemed to fade as it spoke, moving farther and farther away.

"W-wait! Hey! Don't run away from… me…" Souji swayed dangerously as his vision swam before him. He stumbled forward, collapsing down to one knee as he clutched his head. "Wh-what is… going on?"

He felt himself falling sideways, his balance toppling as his consciousness began to disperse, and everything about this situation seemed familiar somehow.

Except for the scream…

The loud, penetrating scream of anguish and horror that filled his ears, suffocated his lungs, and chilled his very soul.

A woman's scream.

A woman who was precious to him—close to his heart.

Souji awoke with a loud yell, drenched in cold sweat, his eyes wide and unfocused. He felt himself shaking uncontrollably, and he looked down at his quivering hands automatically, unable to stop himself from weeping. Pain surged through him to his core, stemming from an intense personal loss that he couldn't seem to place.

_That scream… _He grabbed his head, doubled over as he pulled his knees up to his chest, his breathing sharp and uneven. _Who was she…? W-why did she…? Why… can't I remember anything?_

Souji gulped, fumbling next to the futon for his duffle bag. His hand hit the fabric and he dug inside, producing an unopened water bottle. He sipped the warm water shakily, nearly spilling the bottles entire contents down his front as he tried to control his trembling hands.

_Wh-What's happening to me...?_

* * *

Now, let's see... to earn chapter two the review quota has been upped to fifteen. **When I get_ seventeen more_ reviews I will give you the next chapter.** So... one can hope that the people who normally just throw a story on alert leave a word or two, hm?As for _**WHY **_I picked seventeen... Well, July 8th of 2009 will be my seventeenth birthday. As all my friends are busy or currently out of state, this is my own personal way of celebrating since I'll be sending it alone. (That sounded much more morbid than I intended.) ...Does that make me greedy?

Also, I feel the need to mention that "All the Way" (opening theme of "Kino no Tabi/Kino's Journey") has just started playing on my Persona 3 themed WinAmp player... It's such a good song and my mood has increased drastically.

Ah, and for those who know the anime... does anyone else think Naoto and Kino would get along unnaturally well? Chie, Guy-chan, and I have a theory those two could take over the world if they teamed up. One city, three nights at a time... and no one could stop them.

And to Kamina-san... I'm pleased to know the sarcasm between Chie and myself was amusing. I was hoping someone might comment on that.


	3. Kindred Spirits

I'm not going to lie to all of you... this chapter is fairly dull. It's the lead-up chapter to the first visit inside the TV and pretty much the top of the first small hill of this story. Things start to actually get _good_ starting with chapter three--I promise you that. So I apologize in advance for the dull chapter that follows but it really will get better... I'll actually have room to work with starting with the next chapter.

Since this chapter is, well, somewhat dull, I'll only demand ten reviews this time until I update (as I seem to be able to get that much anyway.) I was only three reviews away from the quota to upload this chapter and I wanted to get it up, so... Enjoy.

For the record, I'm not actually sur "Shinrui" means "kindred." I looked it up in my dictionary because I wasn't sure and that is what I got.

**

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Chapter Two:** _Shinrui Supirittsu__("Kindred Spirits")_

Souji woke up early the next morning, dressed himself, and slipped downstairs. He opened the kitchen window above the sink, the cool air and soft hiss of pouring rain soothing his nerves. Inhaling deeply, he slowly lowered himself into one of the chairs around the kitchen table, burying his face in his hands, eyes screwed shut. His mind wandered back to his dream from the night before, but his thoughts would only linger on the fog for a few seconds before the scream would replace the mist and fill his ears, making bile rise in his throat.

Shuddering, the silverette stood up and walked over to the sink, clumsily retrieving a cup from one of the cupboards and filling it, leaning against the counter as he felt the cold liquid go down his throat and chest. He shivered and set the glass down, raising his gaze to look out at the rain once more. A thin layer of mist was beginning to form near the ground, causing the dream to come rushing back to him once more.

Turning from the window abruptly, the silverette slipped, his socks sliding over the smooth clean surface of the kitchen floor, sending him to the ground with a loud crash and yelp of pain.

"Are you alright…?"

Souji jumped and stumbled to his feet, turning around to see a bewildered Nanako standing near the stairs, eyeing him uneasily. He smiled weakly and nodded, stepping toward the fridge as he attempted to casually play off what had just happened.

"Are you… hungry?" He asked, quietly, using the handle of the fridge to support his weight as his legs began to tremble again. "I… just woke up a few minutes ago myself, but…"

Nanako shook her head, walking toward the fridge happily. "Thanks okay, I can do it. I like making breakfast."

Souji watched in slight awe as Nanako scurried around the kitchen, gathering together plates, a pan, toast, and napkins. She set the table, quickly serving drinks before setting about the task of cooking eggs and toast, leaving the silverette in awe.

_She's… only six years old. Does she always do all the cooking around here?_ The teen couldn't help but feel sympathetic toward the young brunette. _She's mature for her age, I'll give her that. Most kids my age can't cook their own meals without following instructions or getting help._

"Breakfast is ready…" Nanako mumbled, setting a plate in front of Souji before scurrying around the table and climbing up into her chair.

She smiled faintly at Souji before grabbing a fork and digging into the small pile of eggs she'd served herself. Souji, on the other hand, hesitated before reaching for his toast, absently nibbling on the corner, not liking the silence that filled the air. He shifted, clearing his throat to grain Nanako's attention and attempted to start a conversation.

"So… Did Doji—uh, your father already left, huh?"

"Uh-huh…" Nanako sighed and picked up her cup, staring at the juice inside. "There was some kind of trouble… He won't be back."

Souji could only stare. Never before had he stopped to think that there was someone else who saw their parents as little—if not less—than he did, taking death out of the equation. He regretted asking, looking down at his eggs in discomfort, not sure on how he might be able to redeem the situation.

"You're starting school today, right?"

He nodded.

"My school's on the way… So let's go together!" Nanako smiled, shifting around in her seat restlessly, a somewhat hopeful glint in her eyes.

Something in the back of Souji's mind cooed softly at Nanako's childish smile. The corners of his mouth twitched upward as he nodded, making Nanako's smile grow in power. The 'something' cooed again, and Souji felt faintly awkward as he finished breakfast with the young girl, chatting absently with her and answering her questions about what it was like to ride a train alone.

_I only met her yesterday… And yet it feels like I've known her for so long. Is it because we're related…? No, blood or not, connections don't work like that… do they?_ He pushed the thoughts away as he grabbed his bag and umbrella, waiting by the front door as Nanako gathered together a few last minute things to take to school with her.

"Okay! I'm ready. Let's go."

The walk to the school zone was quiet, neither of them spoke as they walked through the damp and puddle filled streets. Souji's eyes paused on a sign that read 'Samegawa Flood Plain' raising an eyebrow as he turned his gaze to glance down at the river. _Flood plain, huh? Looks like the type of place you'd see old men playing checkers or fishing._

"You keep going straight from here," Nanako explained as she stopped walking, pointing down the road ahead of them. "If you follow this road, your high school is at the end. The other students can help you if you get lost." She turned, pointing down another road, a small, apologetic smile on her face. "My school is this way… If I don't hurry, I'll be late. Bye!"

Waving, Souji watched Nanako's retreating back until she disappeared around a corner. With a soft sigh, he turned and started down the road again. As he reached the intersection in front of the school, a loud squealing noise from behind made him move to the side of the road, turning to stare, shocked, at a student attempting to hold an umbrella while riding a yellow, beat-up bike.

_Is… he serious!?_ The silverette could only watch as the boy with light brown hair struggled to retrain control of the bike, but it just wasn't going to work.

Sensing what was coming before it happened; Souji turned and shut his eyes, wincing as he heard the sound of metal crashing against metal, followed by a body slamming into something hard and solid. He turned back around slowly, offering the brunette boy's back a sympathetic look as the young man doubled over in pain, whimpering.

_That looks like it really hurt…_ Souji paused, watching the boy silently for a moment before shaking his head, quickly darting down the road again and hoping that he hadn't been seen. _I should probably just leave him alone…_

As he approached the gates of the school, Souji paused, looking up at the building in front of him. The building was large, and fairly glamorous for a school. The court-yard was clean with well-kept bike racks off to the side and cherry blossom trees on either side of the entrance_. Yasogami High School, huh? This is there I'll be spending a good chunk of my time for the rest of the year. For a high school out in the country… It's pretty nice._

Ignoring the curious glances he received from the students in the lobby, Souji made his way down the hall, sighing in relief when he found the office quickly. _At least I won't have to wander around like an idiot… It looks as if everyone here knows everyone else, if only by face. Uniform or not… I stick out like a sore thumb._

He slipped through the door quickly, happy to finally escape the burning looks of other students. He'd never been fond of being the center of attention. He glanced around, noting that the office was fairly empty. An oddly dressed female stood at the far end of the office, talking to a man in what appeared a gym suit. He shrugged, taking a step toward the two, intending on asking them if they had any idea where he should be going. A sharp, stern voice made him freeze in his tracks, making him feel as if he'd just been caught shop-lifting red-handed.

"HEY! What the hell are _you_ doing in here!? This isn't a damn café! Students should be in the halls or waiting in their seats before class starts! What's a damn punk like you need in the faculty office? "

Souji turned, staring at the man who'd just addressed him in shock. _…Look what the dog dragged in. Is he really a teacher?_

The man in front of him in no way held the appearance of anything he'd expect of a teacher anywhere—except perhaps a prison… or Albuquerque. His teeth stuck out at odd angles that would leave any dentist with nightmares until their dying days. His hair was greasier then his tone, combed over horrendously, giving off the impression that something had died on the man's head. His suit clashed horribly with a putrid yellow tie, making him stick out like a sore-thumb among the students. A vein throbbed in the teacher's temple, making it look as if the man might explode at any given moment. All in all, the man's appearance had a clear 'don't-screw-with-me' aura.

An elegant silver eyebrow arched upward as Souji glanced at the two staff members behind him. They glanced at Morooka with disapproving expressions, but said nothing, choosing to exit through the far door of the office rather than the one near Souji and the foul-tempered teacher. _I can't blame them for running…_

Inhaling slowly, Souji forced a polite smile on his features as he addressed the teacher, feigning a tone of innocence. "My name is Souji Seta, _Sir._ I'm a transfer student… I was told to come here on my first day and report to a, ah… Mr. Morooka."

"That's just what I need, another uptown big-shot who thinks he's the coolest damn thing in the world just 'cause he's from the city." The teacher growled, his dark, beady eyes looking Souji up and down in disgust. "Tch… It looks like I'm stuck with you. As if that lazy-ass Hanamura wasn't enough. One of these days… Whatever. Follow me, and keep up! I ain't gonna stand around and wait for you to look at every damn poster on the wall."

"…It's a pleasure to meet you too." Souji muttered as he followed Morooka out into the hall, a dry smile on his face. _Of course. Of all the possible teachers in the school… I get the one who'd love nothing more than to see me expelled before I even reach the classroom. This year is going to be **so** much fun…_

"What was that!?" Morooka snapped, pulling Souji from his thoughts. "Did you say something, city-boy?"

"Nothing, Sir. Just… admiring the school."

"I'm sure…" Morooka replied, his tone darkening. "I bet this is all nothing more than a damn joke to you."

_No, you're the only joke around here, Sir._ Souji thought dryly, not daring to say the words out loud.

"Alright punk, listen up, I ain't repeating myself. Follow me into the classroom and shut up until you're addressed. I don't wanna hear any of your shitty city-boy slang in hope of wooing the girls 'cause unlike in your land of filth, out here, the girls ain't so shallow. Keep your nose in your own damn business and do as you're told. It's bad enough having to deal with Hanamura's cocky street-talk and attitude and I sure as hell ain't gonna deal with it from you."

Souji could only nod his head, not trusting his tongue to stay in check as he stared into Morooka's black eyes. He bit his tongue, waiting until the teacher had entered the room before sighing heavily. _Yeah… This year is going to be full of fun memories. Just… full of them._ Pushing his thoughts aside, the silverette hurried inside, sliding the door shut behind him.

"Awright! Shut yer traps!" Morooka barked at the class, sending the students into an uneasy silence.

"I'm Kinshiro Morooka, your homeroom teacher from today forward! First things first! Just 'cause it's spring doesn't mean I'm going to stand for you swooning over each other like a bunch of love-sick morons. It's bad enough the school doesn't have harsher punishments for the stupid slimeballs who seems to think it's okay to eat each other's faces in the hallway. 'Long as I'm around, you're all gonna be as pure as the driven snow. So don't even _try_ any of that cutesy funny stuff."

The students gaped at him, their mouths hanging open slightly as they tried to comprehend everything he'd just said. Morooka had never had a good record or nice rumors about him, but his current display of inexplicable hatred for the students was much worse than they expected.

Several pairs of eyes dared to venture away from the teacher and look at Souji curiously. The actions didn't go unnoticed by Morooka who rolled his eyes and growled loudly, slapping his hand against the desk to gain their attention again.

"I _hate_ wasting my time, but the rules demand I introduce this _transfer_ student." The word 'transfer' escaped his lips in such a way it made Souji feel criminal. "This sad sack's been thrown out here in the middle of nowhere from the big city like a bit of _garbage._"

Souji's eyebrow twitched violently, his eyes narrowing faintly as he glanced over at Morooka, knowing the teacher wasn't finished.

"He's just as much of a _loser_ out here as he was there. So save your breath, girls, and don't bother hitting on this guy." Turning, Kinshiro faced Souji, gesturing to the class. "Tell 'em your name kid and make it quick. We ain't got all day."

Souji's eyebrow twitched again and he turned his head to look at Morooka fully, raising his eyebrows as he spoke in a clear, monotone voice, his eyes flickering between annoyance and amusement.

"…You calling me a loser, _Sir_?"

A collective gasp rose from the class as they stared at Souji in awe, completely flabbergasted with the teen's bravery. A girl in the second row with raven hair eyed the silverette as if she wasn't quite sure if he was real or not, while the girl behind her, who appeared to be the raven's friend, gaped at Souji openly.

As the students began murmuring of Souji's 'brave confrontation' with Morooka, the teacher's face contorted in disgust, and he glared at Souji, beady eyes seemingly spinning around in their sockets in fury.

"Why you little-! That's it! You're on my shit-list, effective immediately!"

_Oh, am I? I probably a set a new record for joining that. I bet there's not a single student in this entire school who hasn't so much as looked at you funny and not ended up on there. Aren't you a "scary" old-git._ The words had been tempting to say aloud, but Souji knew better and held his tongue. He really hated having the entire class looking at him and he wanted nothing more than to sit down and blend into his seat as if he'd been doing it for years.

"Now listen up! This town is miles away from your big city of perverts and assholes, in more ways than one. You'd better not even _think_ of getting involved with the girls here, let alone abusing them."

_Oh… Is he still going at it?_ Souji rolled his eyes, knowing full well Morooka could see the action and held back a smirk of satisfaction as he watched the vein in the teacher's forehead throb dangerously.

"Um… Excuse me! Is it alright if the transfer student sits here?"

Souji and Morooka turned, staring at the girl in a green sport-coat who'd been gaping at Souji earlier. Kinshiro sneered, gesturing to the seat while giving Souji a look that would have gotten any normal teacher fired.

"Ya hear that, punk? Your seat's over there. Hurry up and siddown before I throw you in that damn seat myself."

_Yeah? I'd like to see you try…_ Smiling politely, Souji nodded and quickly walked down the aisle of seats, slipping into the empty desk gratefully.

"He's the worst, huh?"

Souji blinked, turning to face the girl in surprise. Her short sandy-brown hair framed a kind-looking face, pale-brown eyes meeting the silverette's unusual chrome-like orbs with a friendly light.

"Rotten luck getting stuck in here with him… We'll just have to hang in there for a year, huh?"

He nodded slowly, not knowing what to say to the girl. He hadn't expected that anyone would actually talk to him and he'd been counting on being left alone for at least the first week. It never occurred to him that a transfer student in this area was that rare.

Sighing, Souji tried to focus on the pointless lecture that Mr. Morooka was giving up front, but the hushed voices of the students around him stole his attention.

"Sucks to be the transfer student, ending up in King Moron's class on the first morning here…"

"Yeah, he won't think twice about suspending you if you get on his bad-side. Then again… we're all in the same boat as he is, huh?"

"Five bucks says he tries to change classes before the week ends."

"Wha-? Dude, who WOULDN'T? _Everyone_ tries to switch classes if they end up with this guy."

"Shut your traps!"

The students jumped and the room fell silent once more, everyone eyeing Morooka with an extreme fear, hatred, or a blend of the two.

"I'm taking roll, and I damn well expect you all to answer in an orderly manner!"

_…Am I really going to have to deal with this for a year?_ Souji thought as he rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache forming already from all the shouting the teacher had done. _Maybe I'm better off just playing the delinquent this year and skipping…_ _It wouldn't matter in the long run anyway. It isn't as if I'll be here long enough to be held back from my third year._

How he had made it through the day, Souji couldn't figure it out. He had some managed to keep from using snappy remarks when the teacher spoke to him, and answered questions with ease. He leaned against his desk, lazily spinning his mechanical pencil between his fingers, nearly missing it when 'King Moron' finally said,

"That's all for today. Normal lectures will start tomorrow."

_Normal…?_ Souji thought dully. _I can't even begin to imagine what "normal" might mean coming from a guy like him._

Just as the silverette was reaching for his bag, a soft trill of notes filled the room as the intercom burst into life. A shiver ran down Souji's spine as he stared at the handle of his bag, a sudden wave of unease washing over him as a woman's voice drifted out of the speaker on the wall.

_"Attention, all teachers. Please report to the Faculty Office for a brief staff meeting. All students are to return to their classrooms and may not leave the school until further notice."_

"Hrnh…" Morooka snarled, turning to glare at the classroom as he spoke sharply. "You heard the announcement. Sit down and shut up. You're not going _anywhere_ until you hear otherwise."

"He's seriously getting on my nerves…" a female student with short brown hair standing near Souji's desk muttered darkly as her friend nodded sympathetically.

_Hear hear…_ Souji thought, leaning back in his seat with a sigh. _I can't imagine there's anyone in this building who he **doesn't** manage to annoy._

Several students ran towards the window as the loud, unmistakable sound of sirens could be heard. The silverette turned toward the window curiously, frowning as he noticed the unusually thick fog that prevented anyone from seeing the commotion outside. The sirens grew louder with each passing second, eventually reaching a pitch that implied the police had just driven right past the school.

The male students who had gathered around the window were talking excitedly with one another in hushed tones, discussing something that Souji could only make out small snippets of. One of the males let out a cry of surprise as he stared at the teen in the center, a look if disbelief on his face. The boy turned and hurried across the classroom, pausing as he reached the raven haired girl who sat in the next row.

"H-hey, uh… Yukiko-san? Would you mind if I asked you something? Is it… true that announcer is staying at your family's inn?"

The raven-haired girl—Yukiko—looked down at her lap, shifting in her seat uncomfortably.

"I can't talk about something like that…"

The male student winced, looking faintly guilty as he took a step back, flashing Yukiko an apologetic look. "Y-yeah. That makes sense, sorry." He turned, quickly scurrying back to his friends beside the window, looking embarrassed.

The chair next to Souji squeaked loudly as the sandy-haired girl stood up, raking its legs across the floor. She stretched, yawning loudly as she walked around her desk, stopping next to Yukiko who glanced up, a look of relief immediately falling upon her face as she realized who was standing next to her.

"Sheesh… How much longer is this going to take…?" The brunette sighed, looking upset.

Yukiko shook her head sympathetically. "There's no telling. I wonder what happened to put everyone in a panic like this…"

"Who knows. I shoulda left before that announcement came on…" The down-beat expression on the short-haired girl's face suddenly brightened as she leaned closer to Yukiko, her eyes sparkling faintly. "By the way, didja try what I told you the other night?"

The raven didn't answer, looking quizzically at her friend.

"You know… That thing about rainy nights!"

Souji turned to look at the two females, blinking slowly. _Rainy nights..? _He leaned forward in his seat, curious as to what the pair might be talking about.

"Oh… Ah, no, not yet. Sorry."

The light-brunette shrugged, offering Yukiko a small smile.

"Ahh, that's okay. It isn't a big deal. It's just, I heard some guy in the classroom next door shout something like, 'My soulmate is Yamano, the announcer!' I mean really, who—"

_"Attention, all students."_

The classroom fell silent as everyone turned toward PA system, hopeful looks on their faces.

_"There has been an incident inside the school district. Police officers have been dispatched around the area. Please remain calm and contact your parents or guardian as soon as you can, and head for your homes. Do **not** disturb the officers and head directly home. I repeat, there has…"_ But the rest of the announcement was drowned out as the students began talking in an uproar.

"An 'incident'!?" a boy near the door shouted, sounding far too excited about something that sounded so serious. "No way!"

"I wonder what happened…" a girl standing next to Souji's desk muttered to her friend.

"Come on! Let's go check it out!" The second girl turned, offering the silverette a sweet smile that he assumed was meant to butter him up. "Wanna come with us?"

He raised an eyebrow, frowning faintly as he shook his head, politely declining the offer and ignoring the hurt look he received. _Is it so dull around here that a single incident can cause all this? They're like a group of spectators at a car crash… _

Sighing, Souji grabbed his bag and stood up, stepping backward as he nearly crashed into the short haired girl and Yukiko. The girl with sandy-haired looked at him quizzically, tilting her head to the side, looking around as if she expected someone to suddenly approach him.

"Hey, are you walking home alone? Why don't you come with us?" The girl smiled, the friendly light he'd seen earlier sparkling in her eyes once more. "Oh! I nearly forgot! I'm Chie Satonaka. I sit next to you… You know that, right?"

Souji nodded silently, carefully eyeing the two as he debated over their offer.

"Hehe, thought so." Chie smiled and turned to the raven haired girl next to her, "This is Yukiko Amagi. She sits in front of me—just across from you."

_…She really doesn't have to explain it._ The silverette thought, _I'm not blind._

Yukiko smiled faintly at Souji, looking apologetic as she spoke in a quiet tone. "It's nice to meet you… I'm sorry that this is so sudden."

Chie pouted, waving her hand in protest. "Don't apologize like that… It makes me look bad. I just wanted to ask some stuff… That's all, really. I'm curious. We haven't gotten a transfer student since Yosuke."

Turning back to Souji, Chie flashed him another grin. "So, wanna walk with us?"

"I…" he trailed off, pausing as he looked between the two females. _It couldn't hurt to be polite, could it? They seem friendly and… there's something about them that's… familiar._ "I'd like that, thank you."

"Woohoo! Awesome! Let's go then." Chie turned happily, pausing as a male student approached her before they could reach the end of the row of desks.

"Uh, um… A-ahem. Miss Satonaka…?" The student looked bleak, his eyes focused closer to the ground than Chie's face.

His uniform jacket was buttoned up three-quarters of the way, revealing a white shirt underneath that wasn't like the dress-shirt Souji had been given to wear. The shirt's collar had a deep orange stripe that matched the orange headphones that hung around his neck and the messenger back hanging over his shoulder.

_That's… the boy who crashed this morning._ Souji mused, watching as the other male produced a DVD case, his eyes nervously darting up to Chie's face before falling to the floor again. _…Did he do something? He looks ready to bolt._

"This was really awesome. Like, the way they moved was just amazing and… really inspirational."

"…Huh?" Chie frowned, looking completely bewildered as the boy thrust the DVD into her hands, bowing deeply.

"And… I'm really sorry! It was a complete and total accident! I-I crashed and… Please have mercy until my next paycheck."

"Huh—wha?" She blinked and looked down at the DVD box in confusion, obviously not expecting the sudden bizarre display.

"S-seeya! Thanks!" The brunette smiled faintly before turning on his heel, running for the door.

"What the-!? Stop right there! What did you do to my DVD!?" Chie cried, running after the male and grabbing him by the back of the collar.

Souji winced and looked away as Chie's leg jerked upward, connecting with the male and causing him to yelp loudly in pain. The brunette boy stumbled backward, whimpering as he jumped from one foot to the other, clutching his groin.

Rushing over, Yukiko and Souji stopped just short of Chie who was staring at the contents of the DVD box with a mix of shock and horror.

"Wh… I can't believe this! It's _completely_ cracked!" The silverette leaned forward to look at the split CD sitting in the box as Chie wailed, "My 'Trial of the Dragon!' How could you!?"

"I think mine's cracked too…" the brunette groaned, "C-Critical hit to the nads…"

Souji bit his lip, holding back the laughter that had bubbled up in his throat. Despite the humor of the situation, he couldn't help but feel bad for the other boy and didn't wish to humiliate him any more by laughing about it.

"A-are you alright…?" Yukiko gasped, looking faintly horrified at Chie's actions.

"Oh… Yukiko-san…" the brunette looked up, a pained smile tugging at his lips. "A-are you worried about me…?" The boy looked like he was in pain, but the obvious glint of joy in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by Chie who growled.

"He's _fine,_ Yukiko! Let's ditch him and go home."

Yukiko turned to Chie and nodded, glancing warily back at the headphone-clad boy before hurrying after her friend. Souji made to follow them, but hesitated, worried about the brunette's condition. Contrary to the sandy-haired female's words, the boy looked far from 'fine', but the silverette knew there was nothing he could do and he quietly followed after the other two.

As the three of them approached the gates of the school, a young boy with black hair and unusually shaped eyes ran forward, stopping in front of Yukiko. The uniform he wore was styled like a suit, more like the uniform of the last high school Souji had attended in a city near Tokyo then the Yasogami one.

"You're Yuki, right?" The boy spoke, his voice deep and slightly raspy.

Something about the boy made Souji feel uneasy as he looked the other over. The boy wasn't exactly appealing to the eye, but it wasn't the other's physical appearance that made him uneasy. It was something about the way the strange boy spoke and held himself. The way his black eyes darted around, before they'd return their eerie gaze to Yukiko who looked completely bewildered at the teen's approach. Whatever it was, it made Souji feel edgy and he didn't like the feeling at all.

"Y-You wanna hang out somewhere?"

"Wh-what?" Yukiko took a half-step back, eyeing the odd boy uneasily. "W-who are you?"

Behind them, two students walked toward the gate, stopping just a few feet away as they began to talk each other.

"What the…? What's up with that uniform? Where's that guy from?"

The boy's friend laughed, shaking his head. "Who cares about that… Look, he's going for Yukiko-san. Man, you'd think he'd at least have the sense to wait until she's alone to try and make a move."

"Haha, bet you a can of TaP he gets knocked flat."

"What? Pfft, no bet. Haven't you heard how hard the Amagi challenge is? Not a chance in hell."

Chie scoffed loudly as she glared back at the two students who were completely oblivious to her look. Souji rolled his eyes and turned away, shaking his head. No matter where he went, at least half the students in the school he attended were rumor-loving idiots who got a kick out of butting into other's personal lives. It annoyed the silverette to no end and he made it a point to avoid such people.

"H-hey…" the suited boy called nervously, trying to gain Yukiko's attention. "S-so are you coming or not?"

Yukiko jumped and took another step back, shaking her head. "I-I'm not going…" Her gaze shifted to the ground as the eerie boy's face contorted in anger, and Souji couldn't help but feel sorry for the raven-haired female.

"…Fine!" The boy shouted, making Yukiko jump as he turned and bolted away, disappearing around the corner.

_What the hell was that?_ Souji frowned,_ He's… creepy._

"Wh-what did he want from me?" Yukiko muttered, looking at Chie. "I mean he…"

"What did he _want…?_" Chie repeated, sounding surprised. "Obviously the guy was trying to ask you out on a date. Don't tell me you couldn't tell…"

Yukiko shook her head and Chie groaned.

"Sheesh, you're gonna get kidnapped if you stay oblivious like that. Still… That was creepy, wasn't it? How he started calling you 'Yuki' all of a sudden. He was acting like he'd known you for years."

"Yo! Yukiko-san. Turned down another one, eh?" The brunette boy from the classroom walked up to the three, pushing his yellow bike at his side. "Man, you're cruel, aren't you? You got me the same way last year… It was harsh."

"…Did I?" Yukiko looked surprised. "I don't remember doing that."

"Whoa, really?" the brunette grinned, looking excited. "So then… You wanna hang out sometime?"

"…I'd rather not."

"Ouch…" the brunette sighed and shook his head, swinging a leg over his bike. "That'll teach me to get my hopes up. Anyway, don't pick on the transfer student too much… Hey man, if those two bother you, feel free to just run for it." With a small laugh, the brunette pushed off and speed down the road, turning his squealing bike sharply at the curb.

"Wh—Oh for the love of-!" Chie growled and stopped her foot. "We're just curious, is all!"

Yukiko chuckled weakly, smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry for dragging you into all of this…"

Souji shrugged and shook his head. "It's not a big deal. I'm… having fun, really."

"Uuugh." Chie groaned, "Come on… Everyone is staring. Let's go."

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"So… you came here because of your parents' jobs?" Chie asked, laughing lightly. "Well, that's good to hear at least. I thought it was something way more serious like… trouble or something."

Souji simply shook his head and smiled faintly, resisting the urge to ask, 'What sort of trouble?' The two girls—mostly Chie—had been asking him various questions about himself and his reasons for coming to Inaba. Despite his original resolution that he wasn't going to allow himself to grow close to anyone, the silverette found himself answering each of their questions fully with ease.

"Man, that's gotta suck though, being thrown out here after being in the city. There's really nothing out here…" Chie sighed. "I mean… I guess that's what makes it nice but… when outsiders come; we have nothing to show them. I think like… we've got dyed clothes or pottery or something from Mt. Yasogami, but…"

"It isn't that bad…" Souji mused, "It's nice. Unlike the city, you can really relax here. Everyone seems to know everyone—if only by face—and it has a… warm feeling to it."

Chie laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you could say that, but still… I mean, we've got some great restaurants and all but… Oh! I know! The Amagi Inn! Yukiko's family runs it and it's the pride of Inaba!"

"Huh?" Yukiko blushed faintly, shaking her head. "It's… just an old inn. You don't have to make it grander than it sounds."

"What…? No way! It's amazing, Yukiko! It's been in magazines all over the country as a hidden treasure." The short-haired girl tuned to Souji, grinning. "It's a great inn and Yukiko's family has run it for generations. Someday she's going to take over and run it herself. It attracts a lot of people to the area, so it really helps keep Inaba going."

"I… don't think that's entirely true." Yukiko murmured, looking embarrassed. "Really…."

Chie laughed and shook her head, the grin on her face turning mischievous as she turned to face Souji fully, gesturing to Yukiko behind her. "So… Yukiko's pretty cute, huh?"

"She—wait, what?" Souji blinked, looking between the amused Chie and the uncomfortable Yukiko. He raised an eyebrow slowly, carefully piecing together his words. "I… well, yes. She is… but I can't really judge her character just on if she's cute or not, can I?"

Chie blinked, staring at Souji in shock—she hadn't been expecting an answer like that.

"Chie… Come on, stop. Don't start this again…"

"Man, that _is_ like something you'd say, isn't it?" Chie chuckled. "You're good at saying what people want to hear… It's like you know us really well. You felt it too, didn't you, Yukiko?"

"…Huh?"

Chie rolled her eyes. "This guy. I mean, We only just met today, but it feels like I've known you for a really long time…"

"O-oh… that." Yukiko nodded slowly in agreement, glancing over at Souji. "It is strange…"

"Maybe you're imagining things…?" Souji frowned, not liking where the topic of conversation was going. He'd made a vow with himself not to get involved… but he couldn't help but agree with them. He'd felt the same way they had started asking him questions.

"Yeah, guess so… You're probably right. I mean, come on! We've never even seen each other before today, right?"

"Maybe we're… kindred spirits?" Yukiko suggested, earning a questioning look from Chie. "I read about it somewhere. It means our souls have this deep, profound connection that surpasses time and space, or something like that."

"Kindred spirits, huh…? Maybe… Who knows. The point is, we're able to get along well and that's all that matters in the long run, right?" Chie grinned, laughing lightly.

_Kindred spirits…_ Souji played the words over in his head. _No… That's not it. It's something else… a much deeper level than that. But… what **is** it? Why do I feel as if I know them from somewhere? I've… never been to Inaba before._

"Huh…? Hey, what's that? Something's going on over there."

Souji glanced up, pulled from his thoughts as Chie took off at a slow sprint toward a four-way intersection at the start of the housing district. Yukiko followed quickly after, while Souji followed behind them both at a slower pace, trying to pull his thoughts together. _This feeling is…?_

"So that high schooler left early, and she came down _this_ street!" A woman with dark brown hair was saying loudly to her housewife friend.

"Oh wow… Who could imagine walking down a street to find _that_ handing down from an antenna."

"Oh… That's too bad. I wanted to see it too."

The woman's friend frowned and shook her head. "You got here too late… The police and fire department took it down just a moment ago. It was pretty gruesome to see."

"Well, I think it's terrifying! I can't believe a dead body showed up around here…"

Beside Souji, Chie and Yukiko went unnaturally still. He glanced sideways at them, noting the slowly paling looks on their faces. _I guess I can't blame them… After all, in the city, the crime-rate is probably a lot higher then out here._

"Wait… What did she just say?" Chie gulped, "A… dead body? What…?"

Yukiko shook her head, seemingly unable to speak as she stared up at the antenna that the housewives had been looking at a few moments ago. Her face was completely blank, but her eyes would dart from the antenna to the surrounding area uneasily.

Souji opened his mouth to respond, but froze. Before he could get a single word out, someone moved out of his peripheral vision and he turned, feeling his own blood run cold as he spotted his uncle. _…Shoot. That's right, he's a cop. Of course he'd be here._

"Hey, what're you doing here…?" Dojima asked, his tone firm as he approached the small group.

Souji hesitated, debating if not it was worth making up an excuse. The school had told them to go straight home and not bother the police. Then again, it had been Dojima who approached _him_ and not the other way around.

"We were… just passing through."

"Huh… I should have figured that would happen." Dojima sighed, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "Damnit. We told the principal not to let people through this area. Is anyone watching at all…? I'll have to send someone over there."

"You… know this guy?" Chie finally spoke up, looking between Dojima and Souji. Granted, it was a small down, but when the police knew you personally, usually it wasn't good.

"I, uh, yeah. He-" Souji started.

"I'm Detective Dojima, his uncle and guardian. Uh…" the detective hesitated, looking between Yukiko and Chie as if he'd never spoken to a girl before and was left clueless as to what to say. "Let's see… How should I say this? I, ah… hope you get along with him."

The two girls nodded, smiling faintly at Dojima.

"Yeah, he's pretty cool. I'm sure we'll get along just fine." Chie laughed nervously, her eyes darting toward the barrier that had been set up, blocking the street.

"…Hm. Well, that's good at least. But you three really ought to stop wandering around here. Hurry up and head straight home, don't tell anyone that you went this way."

As he turned to walk away, a young detective in a deep gray suit ran past, looking slightly green and covering his mouth. He ran over to the side of the road, doubling over as he emptied the contents of his stomach onto the grass, earning a pitiful look from Yukiko.

Dojima, on the other hand, wasn't the slightest bit sympathetic towards the sick young man.

"Adachi!" he shouted, "How long are you going to act like a rookie!? You wanna be sent back to central office? They're not gonna be too happy with you if you're sent back in less than a year."

Adachi turned, wiping his mouth as he looked up at Dojima.

"Nngh… I, uh, s-sorry…"

Dojima opened his mouth to report sharply, but held it back, sighing as he shook his head. "…Go wash up. We're going to go look around and gather information."

"Was… this what that announcement was about?" Chie asked as Dojima walked away, back behind the barrier.

"…What did they mean… it was hanging from an antenna?" Yukiko muttered as Adachi ran after Souji's uncle, looking embarrassed.

"…Who knows." Souji muttered, "We shouldn't stick around here for too long. Not unless we want to land our names on a list of suspects." _That's all I'd need, living with a cop for an uncle and being the suspect in a murder._

Chie nodded in agreement. "Hey, Yukiko…? Why don't we go to Junes some other time? I'm thinking of eating at home tonight."

"Good idea…"

"Well then, we're off. If I remember from what you said… you're down that way, right? You're closer to Yosuke then we are. I bet you two would get along great."

_Yosuke…? Was he the boy with the DVD? Mr. Morooka called him "Hanamura," so then that guy's full name is… Yosuke Hanamura?_ Souji paused, staring down at the ground. _Yosuke… That name… I know it. I'm sure of it. Even more-so then with these two. Yosuke was… was…_

"Yeah, I'm closer to the residential district."

"We'll see you around then." Chie smiled, "Starting tomorrow, neighbor, let's do our best, hm?"

Souji nodded, waving to them both as they hurried down the road.

"I guess… I'd better head home too."

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Souji arrived home, tired from the long walk and the first day of school. He waved slightly to Nanako, who smiled as she greeted him and turned back to the television, which seemed to explain more of the Yamano murder. Souji shrugged, already sick of it. He felt like he had heard it all once before, and he was more concerned about getting some sleep than anything else.

He paused momentarily by the stairs as the jingle he heard last night filled the living room.

_"Everyday's great at your Junes!"_

Nanako giggled. "Everyday's great at your Junes!"

The young brunette turned, looking up at Souji expectantly with a bright smile on her face. The silverette chuckled, smiling softly as he sang, "Everyday's great at your Junes…"

"Oh…" Nanako looked up at Souji in awe. She grinned, clapping her hands together as she stood up. "Wow! You're really good at singing! Where did you learn…?"

The silverette shrugged. "I stayed with a musician for a year once… She taught band, but she'd always wanted to teach choir, so I asked her to teach me… I'm going to head to bed early tonight, long day. Your dad probably won't be home till late, so don't wait up, okay?"

Nanako nodded. "Okay… Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Nanako."


	4. Zero Hour

I'd like to apologize once more for the last chapter... It _was_ fairly dull and followed the game far too closely for my liking. Happily, from this chapter out, things really start to move along and the intended story plot I had starts to shine through. I've added more scenes, changed a few and tinkered with what I could, so I hope you all enjoy this one.

My favorite scene to write was the classroom scene with Mrs. Sofue and Junes...

Anyway, since this chapter was over 20 pages long in the text document (size 10 text I might add) I think I'll up the review quota to **fifteen **again if you want an update--which I dearly hope you all will.

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Chapter Three: **_Zero Jikan ("__Zero Hour")_

"Thanks again for helping me out this morning, dude." Souji turned around in his seat, smiling faintly at the brunette who was addressing him. "I must have gotten myself stuck in that same trashcan at least ten times since I moved here, but no one has ever bothered to help. I really owe you one…"

Souji shook his head, stretching while he stood up, grateful that it was finally lunch time. "Don't worry about it, Yosuke-san. I was just doing the right thing… I'm hardly a hero or life-saver because of it."

"Are you kidding me?" Yosuke laughed, "If you hadn't helped me, I would have been late for class. Do you have any idea what King Moron would have done to me if I was late? I would have been long dead and served as tomorrow's mystery meat in the cafeteria—and drop the suffix. No need for stuff like that with me."

"I doubt he would have gone that far…" Yet as he said that, Souji couldn't help but wonder if his words held any truth to them. He wouldn't put it past Morooka to attempt to maim, kill, or eat a student—and the man didn't exactly have a good record to back himself up.

"You obviously don't know King Moron that well." The brunette shuddered, as if recalling a bad memory. "He may be a teacher… but that hasn't stopped him yet."

Souji held back a laugh as he shook his head, amused by Yosuke's theatrics. He reached inside his bag and produced a large bento-box, raising an eyebrow as Yosuke eyed it with a hint of jealousy.

"Didn't you bring your lunch today?"

Yosuke shook his head. "No… I forgot it when I rushed out the door this morning. I don't get paid until next week and I still have to get dinner tonight since dad has to work late and mom is away on business for a few days."

"Why don't you join me on the roof? I made more than enough for myself last night and it seems pointless to let it go to waste."

"Whoa! Are you serious!?" Yosuke jumped to his feet, beaming at Souji. "Dude… I am so in your debt."

Souji shook his head, assuring Yosuke that the brunette owed him nothing as they made their way to the roof. The weather was beautiful, and a cool breeze blew over the top of the building. It was quiet, the conversations of the students on the ground unable to reach their altitude, giving a relaxing atmosphere for eating lunch.

_It's a bit chilly… and it smells like it's going to rain soon too,_ the silverette thought as he and Yosuke seated themselves at the center of the roof, the atmosphere allowing them to relax after a morning of lectures.

"Hey, did you hear about that incident yesterday?" Yosuke asked as he popped a bite-size sandwich into his mouth. "They said she was hanging from antenna. Talk about creepy, huh?"

"Yeah…" Souji nibbled at the corner of a sandwich as he gazed into the distance, lost in thought. "It was on when I came home, my cousin was watching the news. I went to bed early, so I didn't hear the full story but… ah, well, I heard enough to understand what happened from my Uncle."

"Your Uncle? Oh… That's right. I remember Chie mentioning it on the phone… Dojima, right? I've seen him around the town a few times." The brunette reached for his fourth sandwich, popping it into his mouth. "Anyway, you think that body was a warning? I mean, something like that can't be an accident."

"I don't know…" Souji shook his head slowly, "You might be right…"

"It's the only reason I can think of. I mean, dangling a dead body on a roof like that? That's just messed up." He paused, "Well, then again… It's pretty messed up to commit murder in the first place."

"This place seems pretty quiet. Is there really anyone who would have the motive to—" The rest of Souji's words were cut off as the shrill ring of the bell signaling the end of lunch went off.

The pair jumped to their feet, shoving the remaining sandwiches into their mouths as they ran toward the staircase.

"Crap! We're gonna be late!" Yosuke moaned.

Sprinting down the stairs, they narrowly avoided a head-on collision with a group of third-year students. Their shoes squeaked loudly on the polished wooden floors as they weaved in and out of the other teens, running as fast as they could toward the staircase. The stairs were taken three at a time as they leaped down, barely keeping balance as they turned around the corner and diving into the classroom as the final bell rang.

Panting, they both fell into their seats, earning questioning looks from Chie and Yukiko. Souji shook his head as the raven opened her mouth to speak, unable to get the words out. Yosuke, who was slumped over his desk, grunted as Chie poked his shoulder, silently demanding an explanation.

Before either boy could speak, the front door opened and Mr. Morooka entered the room, his eyes sweeping over the classroom as he looked for someone he could punish for being late. The scowl that crossed his features as he stormed to his desk told the students that everyone had made it back on time, which ultimately meant bad news for them—afternoon lectures would be hell.

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"Man, that lecture was crap! Why is he still a teacher, anyway?!" Yosuke groaned as he slumped back in his seat, staring up at the ceiling with a pained expression. "I can't remember half of what he said and I know he's going to end up testing us on it…"

"How did he _become_ a teacher is the real question…" Chie muttered darkly, glaring at her desk in frustration.

Yukiko sighed. "If he hates students so much, why did he spend all that time earning a teaching degree…? Or why doesn't he get another job..?"

Yosuke grunted in agreement and stood up, stretching. "So, Souji, aside from King Moron… You seem to be adjusting to the country pretty well, huh?"

"Yeah," Souji nodded. "It's nice here… Relaxing. There isn't as much to do here compared to the city… but it's nice."

"There is that… something you can't find in other places, huh? After all, where else is the local delicacy grilled streak?" Yosuke grinned. "Actually, I know a place where we can get it pretty cheap. You helped me out this morning _and_ shared your lunch. So let's grab dinner together, it's on me—no arguments."

"Are you sure…?" Souji looked worried. "I thought you mentioned that you were saving up for a-"

"Forget it," the brunette shook his head. "After all you've done, I think I can handle waiting an extra week or so to add more to my funds. It's the least I can do."

"What about me, huh!? No apologies?" Chie demanded, standing up as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "My 'Trial of the Dragon.' You know, the one you _broke?"_

Yosuke sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Urgh… You always come around when I'm talking about food. Never fails…"

"Don't you think he should treat us, Yukiko?" Chie asked, smiling at her raven friend. "I mean, that DVD was pretty expensive."

Yukiko stood up, running a hand down the fabric of her sweater to flatten it. She glanced at Chie, offering her friend a sympathetic smile as she shook her head.

"I'll pass, I don't want to gain anymore weight. Besides, I need to help out at the inn today."

"What the hell are you all looking at?!" Morooka shouted from the front of the room, glaring at the small group of teens. "Go home, you shitheads! It's bad enough I have to see you brats tomorrow! I don't want to look at your stupid, ugly faces _after_ school, too!"

Chie jumped and hurried around her desk, ushering the group out of the classroom as she stayed close to Yosuke, eyeing Morooka as if he could attack at any moment.

"You know…" Souji said thoughtfully as they walked down the hall, "Maybe he liked teaching once upon a time. He might have had a wife too, and a kid."

"Who would wanna marry a guy like that!?" Yosuke shouted, earning a look of disapproval from a teacher speaking with a student. "I mean, his mom wouldn't even buy him some braces! Who in their right mind would _marry_ the guy?"

"Vegas." Souji grinned, causing Yosuke to snort loudly as he held back a laugh.

"…Vegas?" Chie asked, sounding confused. "What…?"

"Vegas," the silverette repeated, "…And probably beer."

"Only in America." Yosuke laughed. "Man, whoever that girl was, she must have had a really weak alcohol tolerance. I wonder if he's _always_ looked like that."

"No, not always…" Souji said confidently.

"Oh? Did you know him before, Souji-kun?" Yukiko asked in curiosity.

"No." Souji shook his head. "He _was_ born after all, right? He had to have been small, shriveled, and bald at some point."

"Ugh…" Chie shivered, shaking her head rapidly. "Oh man! Don't even talk about that! I don't want to think about it. You're gonna make me lose my appetite for free steak!"

"_Please_ keep talking!" Yosuke begged from Souji's left, eyeing Chie hopefully.

"Oh, shut up, Yosuke!!!" Chie growled, aiming a kick that the brunette instinctively dodged. "You're not getting out of it this time!"

Yosuke sighed, looking defeated. "Well, I had to try, right?"

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_"Everyday's great at your Junes!"_

Souji sighed, rubbing his temple as the overly familiar tune played for the umpteenth time. He bit back a groan and tried to focus his mind elsewhere. Back at the Dojima residence, listening to Nanako sing along happily with the short tune was cute, but to hear the theme song over and over countless times through the super market's loudspeaker was enough to test one's sanity—no matter how catchy the song was.

The silverette glanced up as he heard footsteps, smiling at Yosuke as the brunette approached the table, carefully balancing a tray in his arms. Chie, who was sitting across from Souji, crossed her arms and fixed the headphone-clad teen with a glare as he sat down.

"_This_ is the cheap place you were talking about!? They don't have steak here!"

Yosuke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, once _somebody_ decided to jump on the freeloader train, I had to change my plans."

The brunette sighed and shot Souji an apologetic look. Shrugging, the silverette leaned forward, picking up one of the drinks from the tray. He smiled in thanks, tipping the cup toward Yosuke in a silent toast before taking a sip, enjoying the sweet taste of the soda and the sensation of the cold drink going down his throat.

"That's no reason to take us to _your_ place…" Chie muttered, grabbing a drink of her own.

"Dude, this isn't _my _place." Yosuke muttered, looking faintly offended. "Stop calling it that already…"

"Your place?" Souji repeated, looking between the other two teens. "What does she mean?"

The brunette turned, looking surprised before a look of realization dawned on his face. "Oh, that's right… I haven't told you yet, huh?"

"Told me what…?"

"King Moron was shouting at you about how you were another city-boy like me, right? I moved here from a place a short distance from Tokyo about six months back. This location just opened up and my dad was assigned to manage it. So… our entire family came out here—I mean, I don't have any siblings or anything, but…"

Yosuke reached for his own drink, raising it in a toast of his own. "Still, this is still on me—refills and all. A small thank you and a welcome to town." The brunette paused for a moment before smiling and turning to Chie. "Satonaka, yours is on me too."

"Yeah, I know." Chie said, taking another sip of her beverage.

"You know… You could at least _sound_ grateful…" the brunette muttered, looking wounded. "Honestly… Sometimes I think you're only my friend for my wallet."

"That's just a bonus." Chie grinned, slapping Yosuke's shoulder in a friendly manner. "Seriously Yosuke, do you really think I'd make friends with someone just for free steak and soda?"

The brunette was silent, seemingly considering the idea.

"Yosuke!!!"

"Ahahaha, alright, alright. Calm down. You know I was kidding…"

"I'm sure you were…" Chie sighed and fell against the back of her seat, staring up at one of the flags waving in the warm breeze. "You know… Thinking about it, this place only opened like six months ago, but I haven't been to the local shopping district very much since then. A lot of stores there have been closing and… Oh, um… I… shoot…"

"You can't blame it _all_ on Junes, can you?" Yosuke asked, looking hurt.

The brunette sighed and bowed his head as Chie glanced over at Souji, a pleading look on her face as she silently asked him to help.

"H-hey… Yosuke, come on… It isn't a big deal, I mean… Junes has really picked Inaba up, you know? There's a lot of stuff we've never had here before and…"

"Forget it…" the headphone boy muttered in a depressed tone. "Let's talk about something else, oka—huh?"

"What is it…?" Chie frowned, following Yosuke's gaze to a female who couldn't have been more than a year or two older then themselves.

Her light brown hair was wavy, falling around her shoulders. Her expression was tired and somewhat distant as she stared at the ground in front of her. She wore a white long-sleeve shirt and green pants under the signature Junes apron. A small name-tag was on her chest, but unreadable from their table.

"It's Saki-senpai…" Yosuke muttered as he stood up. "Sorry guys, I'll be right back."

"Is that Yosuke's girlfriend?" Souji asked curiously as he watched the brunette hurry over to the female, an eager look in his eyes.

Chie laughed, snorting in distaste as she watched Yosuke go, a sad light flickering in her pale-brown eyes. "Yeah, he _wishes_. That's Saki Konishi, her family runs a liquor store in the shopping district. She's working here part-time though…"

Souji glanced over at Saki and Yosuke, noting the faint tone of distaste in the pale-brunette's tone. _Maybe she likes him…?_ He thought vaguely, _It would make sense I suppose… Though it seems Yosuke's interests lie elsewhere._

Whatever Yosuke and Konishi were talking about, it seemed to make the brunette happy. Yosuke was laughing as Saki sighed, a tired smile on her face. A chill ran down Souji's spine and a sudden uneasy feeling filled him as he watched the wavy-haired girl stand up and walk his way. He shivered and shook his head slowly, looking up as Saki spoke to him.

"Are you the student who transferred here?"

Souji nodded, smiling politely.

"Oh, did you hear about me already?" Saki giggled, "It must be nice to have someone to talk to from the big-city, huh? I don't see Hana-chan hanging out with the other guys much." Behind her, Yosuke started to protest, looking embarrassed, but Saki continued, ignoring the brunette's sputtering. "He doesn't have too many friends, so I hope you two get along alright. Hana-chan is a great guy, but he can be really nosey sometimes. If he's annoying you, you've gotta tell him right to his face to back off."

Yosuke gave Saki's back a wounded look as he crossed his arms, trying to act nonchalant as he watched Souji from the corner of his eye, waiting for the silverette's response.

"I'm not so sure about that." Souji smiled, "He's a great guy… He's nice, funny, and pretty generous too."

Behind Saki, Yosuke beamed, his eyes sparkling with gratitude.

"Haha… I know, I know. I'm just kidding."

Another shiver ran down Souji's spine. Something about this girl—the way she spoke, held herself, and even the way she looked at Yosuke—there was something about it Souji didn't like at all. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes moving toward the ground as Saki pulled away. _That girl… something about how she spoke… I don't like it. It's almost as if she's forcing herself to smile for Yosuke. Is she just tired…? And… this foreboding feeling. Why… do I feel as if I'm never going to see her again? It's a small town, the likelihood that I'd run into her is fairly high, so why…?_

"My break is just about over, I'm gonna head back inside before I'm late. I'll see you all again sometime. Play nice, Hana-chan."

Yosuke sighed and shook his head, his eyes rolling slightly. "Anyway… Saki-senpai says that I'm annoying, but in truth, she's even nosier then I am. She has a younger brother at home, and… she treats me pretty much the same way as she treats him."

"Oooo…" Chie smirked, making Yosuke jump. "So you don't want her treating you like a _little brother_, huh? I see… So _that's_ how it is. How dramatic! The daughter of the local family-run liquor store and the scion of the invading chain that threatens their business… The flame of forbidden loves burns so brightly… it almost _hurts._"

"Wha-!? Huh!?" Yosuke blushed, shaking his head. "Dude, it's not like that…"

"Oh _really?_" The female sounded skeptical, "Because I think there's something _much_ deeper than just 'brotherly love' going on here."

"Yeah?" Yosuke rolled his eyes, "Then I suggest you invest in glasses. Floor four on the eastern wing—you've obviously gone blind. Need me to help you there or can you feel your way around?"

"Haha, very funny. You're a regular comedian, aren't you?"

"I try my best."

"I'm sure you do…" Chie muttered, looking annoyed. "Anyway, I've got something much more interesting then Yosuke's corrupted love life."

"It's not _corrupted!_ Will you drop it already? I don't-!"

"Yeah, yeah—whatever. Just be quiet and listen, okay? I've got some juicy stuff here. It might even cure that love-sick heart of yours."

"I'm not—gaugh. Whatever… Just tell us already."

"You ever hear of the Midnight Channel?" Chie leaned forward in her seat, a sly grin tugging at her lips. "You're supposed to look into a TV, alone, at exactly midnight when it's raining. As you stare at your own image, another person will appear on the screen. As the stories go… That person is your soul mate."

"…What?" Yosuke frowned, looking disappointed. "Are you serious? Geez, talk about—for a second, I actually thought you were going to say something useful. Not a children's story… Seriously, how can you get excited over some urban legend started by a grade-schooler?"

"Wha—grade schooler!? You don't believe it at all, do you!?"

"Of course I don't!" Yosuke snapped, "Why would I? I mean it's—Souji, help me out here."

"It does seem… unrealistic." Souji said, carefully choosing over his words. He didn't want to take sides in a war, especially not one between these two. "But the idea is interesting, you must admit. Aren't you curious at all, Yosuke?"

"No," the brunette replied bluntly. "Not really, no."

"Fine then! If you're so sure that it won't work, then we'll all try it out—that means you too, Souji-kun. It's raining tonight, so stay up and wait—then you'll see."

"Try it out…? Are you telling me that you haven't even bothered trying it out yourself!? That the—don't drag me into this stuff if you don't even know all the details yourself! Ugh… I'm trying to remember the last time I heard something _this_ stupid."

"It's not stupid!" Chie growled, "You're just scared to try it out!"

"Oh yeah, terrified. Because looking at a TV at midnight is what really gets my bones shaking."

"Then say you'll try it!"

"I'm not going to try it because it's stupid!"

"You're scared! Admit it!"

"I'm_ not_ scared!"

"Then do it!"

"No!"

"Yosuke-!"

"I'll do it."

Both heads turned toward Souji, bewildered looks on their faces.

"I'll do it," Souji repeated. "If it means that much to you, Satonaka-san, then I'll try it out. I need to unpack tonight, so I'll be up late anyway."

"Souji-kun!" Chie's eyes sparkled as she turned to the silver-haired teen. "Thank you! See, Yosuke? Why can't you be more like him? Live a little! Oh… and it's just Chie. Really, drop the formalities. I feel old."

"Fine, _fine!"_ Yosuke groaned, "I'll try out your stupid legend. Geez… If I knew you were going to get this upset over it, I would have just agreed from the start to keep you quiet. Honestly…"

"I wasn't-!"

"All that aside…" Yosuke sighed, "You guys know about that 'incident' yesterday, right? Think it could have been murder—Souji and I talked about it a little at lunch but… Oh man! What if the culprit was still lurking around? Ooooehehehehe…."

"Sheesh… You shouldn't joke about stuff like that, Yosuke. And knock it off with that laugh, it's creepy. Who's acting childish now, huh?" Chie leaned forward in her seat again, fixing Yosuke with a glare. "You guys better try it out tonight…"

"Wh—why are you only glaring at _me!?_ We already said we would, geez. Drop it already… We'll try it, okay? You have our word. We'll try it. You want a picture or something as proof?"

"No, I'll just send you a text message." The brunette female smiled, "The noise is less likely to wake you up if you bail-out."

_The "Midnight Channel"? Huh…_ Souji gazed at the slowly darkening clouds, sipping at his drink absently as he zoned out the bickering of the two teens at the table with him. _The name sounds familiar… It's the same feeling I got with Yosuke and the others. I wonder what it is… Nostalgia? No… That wouldn't make sense. Perhaps someone mentioned it in the city…? No, the rumors would have been huge, something like that… Maybe Yukiko was right about "kindred spirits." Maybe it was fate or destiny… Heh. What am I talking about? Things like that don't exist._

The silverette sat up in his seat, shaking his head slowly. _I mean honestly, what—_ He froze, eyes wide as an image of a woman with pale-blonde hair and an old man with snowy-white locks flashed before his eyes. He shuddered and shook his head, not wanting to remember that dream or the one that followed. He still felt a chill every time he thought about the fog-filled dream and he could hear the scream every time he closed his eyes. _…Just what the hell is going on?_

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"Nanako…? Did your father call tonight?" Souji asked quietly over his sushi bento, "I saw his partner today when I was walking home. He seemed tired but…"

Nanako sighed softly and looked down at her food, poking a small pile of ginger with her chopsticks.

"H-hey…" The silverette winced, a small force tugging at his chest at the depressed look at Nanako's face. "Don't worry; I'm sure it'll be just fine."

"…Yeah," Nanako nodded. "He's usually home late, so—"

The front door opened and Nanako leapt to her feet, a wide smile spreading across her face. "Oh! He's home! Da… Dad?"

Souji turned, not surprised by the exhausted look on Dojima's face. The older man sighed, rubbing his forehead as he slowly ambled toward the couch, looking more like a grandfather in the late years of his life then a detective in his early forties.

"…Uncle Dojima? Are you alright?"

The detective sighed, falling backward on the couch with a soft mutter of 'what a day.' He winced and readjusted himself into a more comfortable sitting position, offering Souji and Nanako a tired smile.

"I'm back… Did anything happen while I was out?"

"No…" Nanako shook her head, looking upset. "You're late again…!"

"I know, I know… I'm sorry. There was a—well, work was busy today. Would you mind turning on the news for me?"

Nanako opened her mouth to protest, but seemed to think better and shut it, nodding silently as she fell back down on her cushion. She changed the channel without a word and started eating again, her movements just a little faster than before.

_He's home now… Though she doesn't show it, she's a little happier at least._ Souji thought, turning to look at the news report. _It isn't fun when your parents have a job that keeps them away all the time. I can understand how you feel, Nanako._

_"…announcer Mayumi Yamano's dead body was found hanging above a house in this rural town. It was confirmed that Ms. Yamano was having an affair with enka singer Misuzu Hiiragi's husband, Taro Namatame. We…"_

Souji turned away from the TV to focus on his food once more. The sushi suddenly seemed to have no taste in his mouth as another chill ran up his spine. _Am I really that unnerved by a murder? I wasn't even involved… Why would it affect me? Is it just because I had a shaky start here? No… that can't be it. Then what—huh?_

_"…you an interview with the student who found Ms. Yamano's body."_

The silverette stared at the screen in shock, his eyes widening faintly. _What the…? That girl… That's… Yosuke's senpai! That's the Konishi girl._

"An interview with the kid…?" Dojima groaned from the couch. "How the hell did they find her? I thought I told Adachi to escort her straight home…"

_Intercepted? Or perhaps this happened just after work?_ Souji thought absently, staring at the blurred face on the screen. His mind wasn't processing anything that was being said, his pale orbs too focused on the girl. Despite the poor attempt at covering her face, it was obvious who it was, and the silverette questioned why they went through the trouble of blurring her face in the first place. _Pointless… She seems confused thought. Upset too…_

_"Pretty insane, huh?_" a new reporter appeared on the screen with two more on either side of him. _"I mean, hanging a body upside down from an antenna. Talk about capital-W weird."_

_"Yes,"_ the second reporter nodded. _"But so far, no one has come forward to take credit for the crime."_

_Who would…?_ Souji frowned. _It was murder. Not the type of crime someone would want to be punished for._

"Loads of prank calls, though…" Dojima sighed. "Honestly, you'd think it was all a big game to them…"

"It isn't as easy as you would think…" Souji muttered darkly as the reporter began to bad-mouth the police, "If the job isn't _yours_, you can criticize it all you want and not feel bad about it at all…"

_"We'll be right back after these messages…"_

_"At Junes, everyday is…"_

Souji bit back a groan and turned back to his food, focusing very hard on closing his ears. _That jingle is going to drive me mad before the month is over._

"Ever day's great at your Junes!" Nanako chimed in happily with the commercial. "Hey, dad… Can we go to Junes together sometime?"

Silence.

"…No?" Nanako asked, wounded. She turned to look at Dojima, frowning as a soft snore filled the room. "He's asleep…"

Souji opened his mouth, almost saying, _'I'll take you sometime'_ but caught himself before he could finish. He shook his head, sighing. _I promised myself when I came here I wouldn't get close to anyone. It's so much easier that way… Besides, I don't want to seem like I'm trying to one-up her dad. I don't want to get close to them, but I don't want to start a war either._

Standing up, the silverette gathered his dishes and entered the kitchen, emptying the food he hadn't eaten into the trash before tossing the reusable dishes into the sink.

Pausing at the foot of the stairs, he turned, watching as Nanako draped a pink blanket over her father. _Heh… Daddy's little girl all the way, huh? She really is something…_

"Nanako?"

"Yeah…?"

"I'm gonna head upstairs and start unpacking my things. Do you need anything before I head up?"

"No… I can finish cleaning. I'll go to bed after I watch TV. I can take care of dad too."

"Alright, don't stay up too late. Goodnight."

"Goodnight…"

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_That took longer than I thought it would…_ Souji thought as he fell back on the black couch in his room, groaning softly. _I didn't bring that much, but I'm still tired… I guess it's just from moving all the books. That's the bulk of what I brought, anyway._

_  
_Glancing at the clock, the silverette blinked in surprise. Exactly two minutes before midnight. He stood up and walked over to his window, drawing back the curtain. Sure enough, as his ears had told him before glancing out, it was raining.

He dropped the curtain and turned away, walking over to where the TV sat on the dresser. Staring at the blank screen, Souji couldn't help but feel slightly foolish as he gazed at his own faded reflection. _I guess I shouldn't have encouraged Chie like that… Yosuke was right, the idea was ridiculous. "Soul mate"…? That sort of stuff… it doesn't happen._

The silverette chuckled softly as he turned away from the TV, intent on climbing into his futon and getting as much asleep as he could. He closed his eyes and stretching, yawning. As he opened his eyes once more, his body tensed, freezing up completely as he stared at the reflection of the lit TV screen on his window.

Turning slowly, he stared in shock at the static that danced across the screen. A blurred image flickered into focus before dying, the process repeating itself several times. A bright flashed filled his room and a loud _crack_ followed shortly after, but the raging storm outside wasn't enough to tear the silverette's memorized gaze from the TV.

"Wh-what… the hell…?" he muttered, taking half a step back. "I-is this some kind of joke? This can't be—aurgh!"

Souji doubled over, grabbing his head as he stumbled backward.

_"I am thou…"_ a voice echoed in his mind. _"…and thou art I…"_

"W-who are you?" Souji hissed in pain, swaying dangerously, eyes shut as he tried to push the voice away. It felt like his leg was being split in half, the searing agony spreading throughout his entire body.

_"Thou art the one who opens the door…"_

"D-door…? Wh-what door? What are you talking about? Who are you!?"

Another loud _bang_ sounded outside and Souji gasped as a final wave of pain washed over him and he fell to his knees. He didn't move, choosing to remained doubled over, eyes shut, as he tried to regain his senses. The pain had faded almost instantly, leaving him slightly disoriented and confused.

Slowly, almost cautiously, he raised his head, eyeing the TV uneasily. The screen was blank, giving off the faint glow that a blank television screen often did when it was powered on.

Gulping, the silverette glanced toward his futon, quite sure that this wasn't a dream, but dearly wishing that it was. He'd take the old man and strange girl again every night if he had to, but whatever had just happened… it was creepy, but what disturbed the silverette wasn't the frantic beating of his heart of his ragged breathing. It wasn't that his TV had turned on as Chie said it would or that someone appeared, it wasn't even the voice. It was that, despite the impossibility that any of that had just happened… he didn't have a single doubt in his mind that it was all real—and he had a feeling that he'd been through all of it before.

Standing up, Souji walked over to the TV, hesitating as he gazed at the screen. He looked around the empty room, as if expecting someone might suddenly pop out from nowhere and see how foolish he was acting. The thought was pushed aside as he raised a hand slowly, pausing for a moment, before taping the screen with his finger.

The screen burst into life again, waving as if he'd just tapped the surface of a bowl of water. The TV was now emitting a dull blue glow that filled the once dark room, almost inviting. Glancing around once more, Souji turned back to the screen, his eyebrows knitting together as he pushed against what should have been glass with his entire palm. He gasped as his hand moved forward, moving through the screen as if it were nothing more than air.

"What the—gaugh!" Something seemed to tug at his arm, and before he could blink, his head and most of his shoulders had been pulled inside.

Movement suddenly stopped and the silverette felt a wave of gratitude toward whoever had invented the smaller room-size TVs. He was stuck—not that this was good news—but it was better news than knowing he'd be trapped in a TV for the rest of his life.

His free arm—not inside the TV—flailed as he tried to find a sturdy leverage to push himself out. Finding the top of the TV, he grabbed the edge and shoved, feeling his body being thrown backward as his head and other arm flew out with a small 'pop' as he fell backward.

Stars danced across the teen's vision as he groaned, holding his head. He cursed silently, rubbing the back of his skull where it had connected with the coffee table in the middle of his floor. His eyes burned and watered as his head throbbed and he shook it, blinking the stars away as he heard a knock.

"Are you okay…?" Nanako's tired and muffled voice called through the door.

"Y-yeah…" Souji replied. "Kind of…"

"I heard a crash…" the young brunette said, sounding worried. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"N-no…" the silverette forced a small laugh. "I just tripped over something I dropped. Sorry, Nanako… I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Oh… okay." A pause then, "Well, goodnight…"

"Goodnight…"

Waiting until Nanako's footsteps faded away completely, Souji stood up and rubbed his head once more. He gazed at the TV in bewilderment. The screen was now completely off, the only light source in the room coming from the streetlamps outside.

He shook his head and quickly moved over to his futon, climbing under the covers and burying his face in the pillow.

_What… the heck just happened?_ He closed his eyes tightly, shaking his head. _…Those two are going to think I'm insane tomorrow when I tell them about this._

"…Heh. No better way to say hello to a new town than becoming the village idiot."

Shutting his eyes, Souji fell into, at least what he hoped would be, a dreamless sleep.

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As Souji walked into the classroom the next morning, he blinked, staring at the woman in front of the room. He vaguely remembered seeing her before on his first day in the office, but he hadn't committed her to memory, thinking it unlikely that he'd see her again.

Slipping into his seat, the silverette leaned over, muttering in a low voice so that only Chie and Yosuke would hear him, "We need to talk after school."

The other two nodded, the look in their eyes telling Souji that they'd seen everything he had last night. He felt calmer knowing this, but he couldn't help but wonder if either of them had heard the voice or nearly been sucked into their TVs. He vaguely remembered being told once long ago that—no matter what the situation—hearing bodies without a voice wasn't good and he decided to leave that out of his story until he could better understand what he had heard.

"Hello everyone!" a cheerful voice rang through the room, pulling Souji from his thoughts. "My name is Kimiko Sofue! It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I'm not sure how familiar you all are with history, but I am an expert!"

The students were in awe. After having to deal with Mr. Morooka for two days, they had all completely forgotten that their regular subjects would be starting today. The atmosphere of the classroom was calm and rather pleasant compared to that of which it was with 'King Moron' in the room. This woman was—most definitely—strange, but at not at all crude.

"Let's see… Why don't I start with telling you a little about myself? I love to use my dowser to look for lost items and there is nothing quite like a good romance." Ms. Soufe beamed, "In fact, world history is like a beautiful and magnificent romance in and of itself. History is quite like a river; it was born so long ago, but it continues to push forward, sometimes small parts of its path often getting lost. I hope that we are all able to enjoy the beauty that is history together. Ohohohoho!

"Since this is my first lecture of the year, I'll start with something simple. Let's see… Oh! I know! Our transferee, young Mr. Seta! My dowsing rod tells me you are the boy to pick!"

Souji winced, feeling all eyes immediately fall on him as he stood up slowly. The idea of giving the wrong answer flickered across his mind temporarily, but he pushed the thought away. His grades had always been the only thing he had complete control over. No matter where he went, he was able to keep them near or at the top of his class, and, even though he had no friends despite his popularity, he held them with pride.

"When did A.D.—in other words, Anno Domini—begin?"

The silverette smirked, answering with full confidence. "Anno Domini began after the birth of Christ—that is to say, Jesus. It is a term in Medieval Latin meaning 'In the year of Our Lord.' The full name is 'Anno Domini Nostri Jesu' meaning 'In the year of Our Lord Jesus Christ.' A.D. and B.C. are designations used to number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars."

Ms. Sofue blinked, her mouth hanging open slightly as she stared at Souji in awe. The students were flabbergasted as they gazed at the teen in admiration, making the silverette's cheeks heat up very faintly. _…Too much?_ He wondered vaguely, slowly slipping back into his seat.

"…Holy shit, dude." Yosuke finally muttered, breaking the spell of silence that had fallen over the class.

"I... y-yes… that's correct, Mr. Seta." Ms. Soufe said, finally finding her voice. "You have quite the impressive knowledge of history. I'm in shock… Um, now, as Mr. Seta said, A.D…"

When the last bell finally rang, Souji couldn't have been more grateful. Impressed by his vast knowledge of everything she spoke about; Ms. Soufe had taken to directing every question she had for the class at the silverette. It was apparent that she had spoken with his afternoon teachers as well when he became a sudden target of their attention, when—according to Yosuke—they normally allowed transfer students to settle in before giving them the spotlight. He could only hope that by tomorrow everyone would be less impressed and see him as a smart-ass rather than a genius.

Sighing, the silverette gathered his notebooks and slipped them into his bag, his mind drifting back to the events of the previous night. _I wonder what those two saw… I couldn't recognize the girl I saw, but she was definitely in one of our uniforms. Does that mean… my soul mate is here? No… That wouldn't make any—_

"Y-yo. Um…" Yosuke approached Souji, jerking the silverette back down to earth as he struggled to say what it was he wanted to say. "Um… Last night, I, um… On the TV I…" he trailed off again, shifting his weight around on the balls of his feet. "Well, you know… it… Ah, it's nothing. Nevermind, I'll tell you later, okay?"

From the other side of the room, Chie slipped back into the classroom, returning from her bathroom run. Spotting Souji and Yosuke, she quickly made her way around the desks and approached the pair, looking uneasy.

"H-hey, Yosuke. Have you heard the rumors? People are saying that it was Saki-san who found the body…"

Yosuke nodded gravely. "Yeah, I've heard them... I wonder if that's why she looked so down yesterday. I haven't seen her at school today either."

In the row ahead of where Souji was sitting, Yukiko stood up, brushing her skirt down before starting toward the door.

"Hey, Yukiko… Are you helping out at the inn today too?" Chie called as her raven friend turned to address her.

"Yeah. Things are out of hand right now…" Yukiko sighed, "It's much busier then it normally is, so I have to help out. I'm sorry…"

Chie shook her head, smiling in understanding. "No, no. That's alright… Sorry to hear things are so nuts over there. If you ever need any help, you know where to find me."

Yukiko smiled weakly and nodded, muttering a quick, "Thanks," before hurrying out the door.

"Huh…" Yosuke frowned, "Is it just me, or does Yukiko-san seem really stressed out lately? It must be touch having to work for a family business like that. Working at Junes is annoying and all, but it isn't particularly stressful."

"I guess they're running her ragged…" Chie sighed, "I called her last night and she sounded really tired then too, like she hadn't had a chance to rest all day—but enough about that. Don't butt into Yukiko's business."

"Hey! I'm just worried about a fellow classmate, that's all."

"I'm sure…" Chie rolled her eyes. "Anyway… Did you two see… _it_… last night? You know… on the Midnight Channel?"

"Uh," the brunette hesitated, "Wh-what about you? Did you see anything?"

"I did!" Chie nodded, "I saw a… Well, I saw a girl. Does that mean… a girl is my soul mate? What the heck is that supposed to mean? I couldn't even tell who it was… but it was definitely a girl. She was wearing the Yasogami girl's uniform and everything! She had brown hair, about shoulder length, and I think it was wavy… The image wasn't clear enough to tell though."

"What!?" Yosuke gasped, looking shocked. "That's the same thing I saw—but you're image sounds like it was clearer. Mine was so blurry, I couldn't make out the finer details at all."

"So you saw it too!? And… the same girl as me?" Chie tilted her head, frowning. "So then… does that mean we have the same soul mate…?"

"How the heck should I know?" Yosuke shrugged, "I didn't even think this stupid voodoo would work. You can't expect me to be able to explain it…

"What about you?" the brunette asked, turning to Souji. "Did you see anything?"

Souji nodded. "I did… and it sounds like I saw the same girl as you two."

The silverette proceeded to explain everything he'd seen, the girl who looked as if she were running from something, the bizarre glow when the image had finally disappeared, and then finally, a rather awkward explanation of how his hand had been sucked into the TV. As expected, the looks he received as he told the end of his story were somewhat skeptical and confused, obviously not believing a word he said.

"It sounds like we all saw the same person but—that aside…" Yosuke frowned, "What was that about getting sucked into your TV…? Were you that tired last night? You must have just fallen asleep in front of it."

"That'd be some dream though, wouldn't it?" Chie asked, grinning. "I like where you got stuck because your TV was too small. Talk about realistic. But there's no way that could happen, right?"

Souji shrugged. "I'm just telling you what I saw… I don't know if it was a dream or not." He ran a hand over the back of his head, wincing as his fingers brushed over the swollen lump that had formed by morning. _Still, I woke up in my bed this morning, so I couldn't have fallen asleep in front of the TV… and the bump is there too. Could it… be because I bumped my head that I seem to remember all this? No… either way, it doesn't make sense._

"You know, if it had been bigger, then…" Chie trailed off, her eyes widening as she remembered something. "Oh! Speaking of larger TVs… My family is thinking about getting a new one."

"Yeah?" Yosuke asked curiously. "Flatscreens seem to be really popular these days. Want me to show you on the way back? We're beefing up our electronics department this month. New shipments and everything. There's some pretty cool stuff that's come in lately."

"Whoa… Really? Definitely!" Chie nodded, "My parents don't know anything about TVs, and I really want to see all my kung-fu movies on a big screen!"

Yosuke rolled his eyes and turned to Souji, ignoring Chie as she demonstrated several of the moves she'd learned from the movies.

"Why don't you come with us? There are some pretty big ones that just came in… I bet you'd even be able to fit inside. Hahaha."

"Wh…" Souji glared as Yosuke continued to laugh.

It was obvious to the silverette that neither of the two were going to take him seriously about this, no matter how sure about it he was. He sighed and grabbed his bag, standing up.

"Yeah, sure… I'll tag along."

"Great!" Chie smiled. "Then let's get going!"

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

The three teens reached Junes and made their way to the electronics department without difficulty. Yosuke lead the other two to the center of the western wing of the floor, stopping near a wall covered in large, rather glamorous flatscreen TVs.

Each one had a differing size then the one beside it, all giving off a faint gleam under the ceiling lights. A cityscape screensaver played across several of the screens, zooming close to and away from a group of red flowers in front of a skyscraper.

Approaching the largest TV in the area, Chie gasped loudly as she marveled at its large size.

"Wow… this is huge! And… Holy crap, it's _expensive!_ Who the heck spends that much money on a TV? Who could even afford something like this?"

"I dunno…" Yosuke shrugged nonchalantly, "Rich people?"

"What 'rich people'? I didn't know Inaba even _had_ rich people."

"Honestly, not many people shop for TVs around here. That's why there's no sales clerks around here, nothing for them to watch or do."

"That sucks…" Chie sighed, "Well, at least looking is free, right?"

Glancing at Yosuke, the brunette female smiled slyly and nodded toward the TV. The headphone-clad boy laughed and stepped forward with her as they both pressed their hands to the screen of the TV. Souji watched them silently, eyebrow raised as they tapped it several times.

"…Nope, can't get in. Go figure."

"Maybe there's a switch." Chie grinned, "You know, like a menu setting or something."

"Ooo. You might be right. Want me to go in back and get the remote? We can try it out."

"You can both go to hell…" Souji muttered darkly as the pair laughed in amusement.

"Aw… Come on, we're just playing with you," giggled Chie brightly. "Besides, this proves it was just a dream."

Souji only grunted in response.

"Besides, this flatscreen is so thin, you'd just end up on the other side if you—gaugh! What am I saying!? Now you've got me talking about it." Yosuke groaned and shook his head, sighing. "Anyway… What kind of TV are you guys looking for, Chie? Anything special?"

"Well…" the martial-artist shrugged, "They said they wanted one that's cheap. You know? A good one, but not something like this… too expensive." She knocked on the screen of the TV once more with her knuckle. "You got any suggestions?"

"Well, Miss," Yosuke began in his best business tone, leading Chie down the row of TVs. "Might I suggest this model here? It has a large screen with simply _stunning_ resolution. It's the newest model released just this spring and is _all_ the rage with the kids."

"Huh…" Chie leaned forward, tapping the screen once. "Doesn't look like you can crawl in this one either."

"I said go to hell!" Souji snapped, earning another burst of giggles from the two.

_Honestly, those two…_ Souji sighed as he approached the large TV screen in front of him, staring at his reflection. _I guess… it really was a dream, huh? If those two can't do it, why would I be able to?_

"Anyway, this one looks—Wha!? This isn't cheap _at all!_ There's _way_ to many zeros on that price tag!"

"…I should have asked what you meant by 'cheap' right off the bat."

"Aw… Come on!" Chie tugged Yosuke's sleeve. "Don't you have like, connections or something? Come on! Hook me up with the good stuff!"

"Wha…? You know I can't do that!" Yosuke sighed, "Just because I'm the manager's son… Anyway, what about this one down here? The display unit is old but it's pretty nice and it's bigger than the one you have at home."

Yosuke lead Chie further down the aisle, leaving Souji alone with the large TV. The silverette continued to stare at his reflection, slowly weighing his options in his mind. _If it was a dream… then I'd just touch the screen, right? No harm, no foul. If it wasn't… then I'd be able to prove it to them, right here and now._ He stepped forward, slowly raising a hand. _What could go wrong…?_

His palm pressed against the smooth surface of the TV screen, a small sigh of disappointment escaping his lips.

"I guess it was a—guagh!"

The surface of the TV seemed to turn into nothing and his hand slipped in easily, just as it had the night before. As if made by water, the screen around Souji's hand rippled, fanning outward to the rest of the screen as the silverette stared at his own vanished hand in shock.

"Geez, Chie! Make up your mind... I mean—oh! Right…. Hey, Souji, what kind of TVs do y…ou…" the brunette's voice trailed off, his eyes bulging as he stared at Souji in shock.

"Huh? Yosuke? Is something wrong? What…?" Chie turned, gasping sharply.

"I-is his arm… inside the TV!? H-holy…"

"Whoa…" Chie took a step back, bumping into Yosuke's chest. "I-is that like… a new model maybe? Like… with a new function or something?"

"What the-!? New model!? Hell no!"

The pair of them ran over, standing on either side of Souji as they looked around the surrounding area in a panic.

"Y-you gotta be kidding me! Did you really just stick your hand through the screen!?"

Souji shook his head slowly, smiling faintly. "No, I didn't… I stuck my hand _in_ it."

"T-that's not funny!" the martial-artist shrieked, smacking Souji's shoulder. "W-what the heck is going on!?"

"Oh man… G-geez. This is for real… That's some magic trick, man. Really cool. Awesome… N-now how do you stop? What's the trick, huh? What's the magician's secret?"

The silverette glanced at Yosuke, an amused smile tugging at his lips as he stared at the astonished look on Yosuke's face. He shrugged and shook his head, indicating that he wasn't performing any tricks.

As he turned back to the TV screen, a voice at the back of his mind encouraged him to push forward, and stick more than just his hand inside. Curiosity got the better of him as he pulled his hand out and leaned forward, pushing his head and shoulders into the liquid-like screen.

"H-hey!!!" Yosuke cried behind him. "Don't do that! What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

"Oh my God… Oh my God… Oh my God…" Chie began chanting over and over again, pacing frantically behind Souji as her mind raced to process what it was seeing.

Inside the TV, Souji looked around, blinking as he realized how much empty space there was around him. The entire area was wide open, and covered in a thick, yellowish fog. He glanced downward, frowning as he realized he couldn't see the ground below him. _Well, that's comforting. It's good to know that if I'd climbed in all the way I would have fallen into the unknown land of bizarre yellow fog._ _Although…_ The silverette looked thoughtful; _Maybe I might just fall out a TV somewhere else. Like Vegas._

"It's really… empty in here." Souji called loudly, "It's spacious too… It looks as if it could be as big as Inaba. Although, it's a little hard to see..."

"Wh-what the hell!?" Yosuke cried in disbelief. "What do you mean _inside!?_ And…_ spacious!?_ Have you… lost your mind!? You just stuck your head inside a TV and you're telling me it's SPACIOUS? Aren't you… freaked out at ALL by this!? Dude! Seriously, cut the crap and get out of there! You might have nerves of steel but I sure as hell don't!"

"How can it be empty!?" Chie all but shouted. "It's a TV! There's no room for anything to BE empty! C-come on already, just get out of there."

"H-holy crap…" Yosuke whimpered, wincing as he began jumping from foot to foot. "T-this is insane… I think this is too much for my bladder to handle."

"What the-!?" Chie jumped backward. "Are you gonna pee your pants!? Gross!"

"No I'm not gonna piss myself!" Yosuke snapped, "I've been holding it in all day! I haven't had a chance to go! I can't hold it in anymore!"

"Go inside the TV then! Obviously there's room for it."

"NO!" Souji and Yosuke cried at the same time.

"My head's in here!"

"Pull it out!"

Souji decided to give the pair a slightly vengeful response, smirking as he spoke. "I don't want to… I kinda like it in here."

"Oh, for the love of—GET OUT OF THERE, RIGHT _NOW!"_

Souji was silent for a moment before grinning widely, knowing that Chie couldn't see his face. "…No."

"Get. Out. NOW. Before I DRAG you out!"

"Dude," Yosuke said in a warning tone, "you'd better do it. Chie's scary when she's angry."

"What was that!?"

"It, uh… O-oh crap! Customers! They're coming!"

Unaware of the approaching danger, Souji leaned forward, slipping his shoulders several inches deeper into the TV. "Oh wow… Is that a steak-house?"

"Wha-!?" Chie's attention was immediately diverted from Yosuke as she stepped toward the TV. "Steak!? Let me see!"

"No you idiot!" Yosuke groaned, "Don't _encourage_ her! I—hey! Don't push!"

"Then stop _pulling, _Yosuke!"

"But there are customers—SHIT!"

"Wha—eeek!"

"What the hell are you two doing out—hey! Don't push me! We're gonna—augh!"

With a small 'pop' the three of them disappeared from sight and tumbled forward, screaming as they fell into the deaths of the abyss inside the TV.

**_Bam! Bam! Bam!_**

With a sickening _thud_, the three teens finally came in contact with the ground. Yosuke groaned and rubbed his side, swearing under his breath.

"Ow… Man… What the hell did I land on?"

"Yosuke Hanamura… I. Suggest. You. Move. Your. Hands."

"C-Chie!?"

"**_NOW!_**"

"Chie... I really think you need to move yours. Didn't Mr. Morooka tell the females not to make a move on me?" Souji muttered from the bottom of the pile. "Besides, I already have a girlfriend…"

"Really?" Yosuke asked, sounding hopeful.

"Don't get any ideas, Yosuke!"

"Chie…" Souji muttered, sounding almost as if he were in pain. "Your hands… _please_."

"I-I can't move until Yosuke gets off_ me!"_

"Yosuke move, or... I'll tell Chie about what's under your futon." Souji growled in frustration, feeling his lungs struggling to work against the pressure on them.

"WHAT?! Dude, how could you possibly—Uhhh..."

"...Your futon, huh?" Chie asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What _is_ under your futon, Yosuke?"

"Okay, okay! I'm getting off! Damn, you're cruel, dude!"

Souji sighed in relief as he felt both the weights on his chest shift and move away, allowing his airway access to air again. The silverette had no idea what it was that possessed him to say that to Yosuke in the first place, but he was grateful it worked.

Standing up, the silverette offered a hand to Yosuke, tugging the brunette to his feet who, in turn, bent down and gently pulled Chie to her feet, muttering an apology under his breath. The martial-artist fixed Yosuke with a heated glare, but said nothing about the matter.

She turned, glancing around the stage-like platform they'd landed on.

"…Whoa. What on earth…? We're… uh… We're still alive, right?"

Souji shook his head slowly, shrugging. "I don't know. Is… this a dream, maybe?"

"N-no…" Yosuke muttered, rubbing his backside. "I-I'd say the pain I'm feeling right now is _very_ real."

"Oh don't be such a baby…" Chie sighed, "Honestly, you'd think someone kicked you."

_I'm almost surprised you didn't…_ Souji thought, not daring to speak the words aloud, in fear of getting kicked himself.

"R-real…?" Chie muttered, "But… how can that…?"

Yosuke shook his head and looked up, gasping. "W-whoa!"

"Wh-what!?" the brunette female jumped. "What now!? Did you wet your pants already?"

"Did I—what!? No, I didn't wet my pants! Look around!"

"I did! And I'm just as confused as you are!" Chie's face fell, a pout forming on her lips. "…And I don't see that steak house either."

"What the-!? There is no steak house!_"_ Yosuke cried, "What are you, stupid!?"

"What was that!?" Chie snarled, rounding on Yosuke. "You wanna repeat-

"The steak is a lie."

Chie and Yosuke stopped, staring at Souji in bewilderment.

"…What?"

"…Nothing, nevermind. It isn't important right now." Souji sighed, glancing around the surrounding area. "Hey, guys… Is it just me, or does this place look like a…?"

"…A studio?" Chie asked quietly, following Souji's gaze. "And what about all this fog…? Or smoke maybe…?"

"I don't know…" Souji muttered, feeling an odd, unexplainable sense of nostalgia.

"There isn't anywhere like this in Inaba, is there…?" whispered Chie, looking uncertain.

"Like hell there is!" Yosuke groaned, "When was the last time _you_ took a walk around Inaba and ended up in Creepy Mcfogsville?"

"Wha… I was just asking! It isn't as if I know-"

"Both of you stop!" Souji shouted, stepping between the two bickering teens and pushing them apart. "Yosuke, stop… alright? And Chie, don't pick a fight with him. We're _all_ lost and we're _all_ confused. We're never going to get out of here if we don't keep our heads in place and I _really_ don't think any of us want to get lost right now. So just… calm down, okay?"

Yosuke and Chie were silent as they stared at Yosuke, their mouths hanging open slightly.

"I… errgh… I'm sorry…" the martial-artist sighed. "Yosuke, I didn't mean to shout at you either, I'm-"

"Forget it," Yosuke shook his head. "It doesn't matter, I was wrong too. But… moving on. Have you two noticed how _big_ this place is? I mean, it looks as if you could fit all of Inaba in here and then some."

"I don't know… What're we gonna do? What _can_ we do?"

"Why don't we have a look around?" Souji suggested.

"H-huh!? B-but-!"

"Well, I highly doubt anyone is going to suddenly stick their head into the TV and find us. We're already lost, and wandering around isn't going to get us more lost or anything. We're not even sure where it is we need to go in the first place, so…" the silverette shrugged. "Why don't we just look around for something helpful?"

"W-wait! I mean, we got _in_ right? Then we just need to go that way to get out. Which way did we come from?"

"Up." Souji and Yosuke said at the same time, pointing skywards.

"Wh-what!?" Chie cried, narrowing her eyes as she looked up, trying to see through the fog. "B-but… How are we supposed to-!? T-that can't be the only entrance! Auuugh! I can't take this anymore! I wanna go home!!!"

"Chie…" Yosuke sighed, "We all do, but we don't know _how! _We-"

"We're doomed."

Yosuke jumped and turned to Souji, eyes wide. "D-don't say stuff like that! W-we're _not_ doomed! W-we… we… Geez, let's just… calm down and think about this."

The silverette groaned, resisting the urge to smack his forehead. **_Now_**_ he suggests we calm down… Honestly, are those two that panicked over this? I know the situation is bad, but… I can't help but think I've been here before—and with these two. Am I… the only one who feels it? I don't understand… There's something about this place that's so… familiar._

"Still, how are we supposed to find a way out if we don't know where to look…?" reiterated Chie.

"Well, if there's no exit, we're trapped anyway, right?" Yosuke shrugged. "We might as well look around then, better than just standing here."

"Ugh! Yosuke! You're not comforting at all!"

"Can we… look around now?" Souji called from his position several yards away, "There's a bridge over here… If we follow this path, we should find _something_, and if not, we can come back and try one of the other paths."

"B-but… what if we can't find out way back?" Chie asked, sounding hesitant.

"Well, better lost then standing around doing nothing and waiting for something else to come find us, right?" Yosuke shrugged and started after Souji. "We might as well."

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How much time had passed since they had entered the strange world beyond the TV, none of the teens could be sure. It felt as if they'd been walking for hours, and their search was showing no results for their efforts. They'd been walking down the same path since they stepped off the metallic flooring of the bridge, dust—or what they believed was dust—clouded around their feet as they walked.

It was silent as they walked, both Chie and Yosuke having given up their bickering antics a while ago—which Souji was very grateful for. The silverette hadn't spoken a word since they started following the unknown path, and the silence from the other two allowed him to finally gather together his thoughts and try to figure out what it was about the area that was so familiar—as he was quite sure he'd never climbed into a television set before.

He scanned the area and paused, his eyes falling upon what appeared to be a huge apartment building. He stopped walking, nearly causing Yosuke to collide with him head on. The brunette grunted in surprise, avoiding the collision by stepping to the side and jabbing the silverette's arm in question.

Souji nodded toward the apartment building and quickened his pace, stepping off the path to approach the complex. Yosuke seemed to hesitate, glancing over his shoulder to ensure that Chie was still behind them. The martial-artist looked dazed, but seemed to have little trouble keeping up. The brunette waved his hand to get her attention and jerked his head in the direction that Souji was walking. A nod was his only reply and he shrugged before following after the silverette at a slow sprint.

As the small group reached the top of the stairs, the atmosphere around them seemed to change. The fog thinned faintly, but it did nothing to help their sight. Souji approached a metal railing that ran along the side of the hallway-like path that they'd found and he gasped softly. The scenery around had changed as well.

Where there had once been nothing but fog, Souji could make out silhouettes of buildings in various shapes. Street lamps that didn't appear to work could be seen throughout the area and odd crimson and jet-black swirls filled what Souji assumed was supposed to by the sky.

"Whoa… Where are we?" Chie muttered, joining Souji at the railing. "It's like we're in a completely different place than before, even the air has changed. It's somehow…"

"Creepier? Foreboding? Like something out of a slasher-flick?" The silverette suggested, grinning weakly.

"T-that's one way of putting it…" Chie shuddered. "I wouldn't have picked _those_ words, but sure. Let's go with that."

"The fog's still so freakin' thick though." Yosuke sighed, "I can't see much of anything at all…"

Squinting, the brunette took several steps forward, his gaze fixed on something at the end of the hall. "Hey… Souji, Chie… I think… there's a door down there."

"Wha…? A door? Is it… safe? I mean, what if there's something… bad behind it?"

"Who knows," the headphone-clad boy shrugged. "But we have to trust our gut at least a little in here, right?"

"Well, yeah, but…" Chie hesitated, staring at the ground. "I'm not sure we should—h-hey! Wait up!"

The martial-artist sprinted after the two males as they disappeared through the bizarre vortex-like doorway at the end of the hallway. "Guys!!! Wait! I've got a bad feeling about this! GUYS!!!"

As they entered the room, Souji and Yosuke both noticed the immediate change in visibility. The fog was much thinner, allowing them to see the entire room they had entered with ease.

The room was small, no more than a large bedroom. Furniture was minimal and held nothing significant to its appearance. A bed sat in the far corner of the room, in front of a wall covered in floor-to-ceiling windows. The windows curtains were pulled back, allowing the soft yellow glow from the world outside to fade in. Above the bed were two large bookshelves, hanging from the wall filled with various trinkets and books. Next to the bed was a plant too dead for Souji to recognize, and sitting several feet away from the bed was a chair.

"…Whoa. Talk about weird." Yosuke muttered, looking around. "Is it just me, or did the fog suddenly get thinner? Maybe I could..." The brunette reached into his pocket and produced a cell-phone, glancing at the screen. "Heh, no service. What a surprise…"

"Are you two hard of hearing!?" Chie snapped as she finally entered the room. "I asked you two to wait! It's hard enough walking around here when I can barely see two inches in front of my own face! I—wh-what the…?"

The brunette female turned around slowly, her eyes widening as she stared at the walls of the room. "Wh-what's going on here…?"

Souji and Yosuke turned, following Chie's gaze, gasping sharply as they realized the condition of the rest of the room. Posters lined the wooden walls, all of them missing their faces with crimson blood staining everything.

"This place just gets creepier and creepier, doesn't it…?" Souji muttered, turning away from the walls as an icy chill ran up and down his spine. _Have I… seen this room before? But… no, surely I would have remembered something like this…_

"Auuuugh!" Yosuke groaned, making Souji and Chie jump. "I can't hold it anymore!! My bladder is gonna burst!"

The brunette turned and ran over to the fall wall, making Chie shriek in horror as the sound of his zipper being pulled down seemed to echo throughout the bizarre room.

"Yosuke! What the _hell_ are you doing!?"

"I have to go! I'm gonna piss my pants soon if I don't!"

"So what!? Your solution is to go in _here!?_ Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding!"

"J-just turn around! I can't go if you're both _watching!"_

"Then don't go at all!"

"Don't watch!"

"Will you both just—"

"Argh… I can't go with you two here. If my bladder explodes, I blame you two."

"As if we care…" Chie muttered darkly. "Anyway, what's up with this room, huh? All the posters are missing their faces and… is that blood? Someone must _really_ hate whoever this person is."

Souji eyed the posters as Yosuke shuddered and shook his head, approaching the chair that sat rather awkwardly in the center of the room.

"Who knows… There's all sorts of weird-ass voodoo in the… H-hey… g-guys?"

The silverette and martial-artist turned, eyeing the quickly paling Yosuke oddly.

"What's up…?" Souji asked, "You look ready to be sick."

"I-I think I might be…" The brunette gulped and pointed to a scarf hanging above the chair in the shape of a noose. "This chair… and that rope… This type of arrangement is _never_ good. I don't care _what_ world it's in."

Chie laughed nervously and began edging toward the door, looking as pale as Yosuke. "C-c'mon. Let's go back to where we came from, okay? We'll find another path…"

The brunette nodded and followed after the female without any arguments. Hazel eyes racked over the walls once more as the headphone-clad male paused by the door, frowning.

"You know… I think I've seen this poster before somewhere. I can't remember _where_ though…"

"W-who cares!" Chie groaned, "Let's just get out of here! I'm sick of this place, it's creepy! And… I'm not feeling so good…"

"Now that you mention it…" Yosuke shivered, "Me too… Come on, let's head back."

The silverette followed after the other two silently, noticing just how heavy his body felt. His head felt like it was spinning, and the feeling he felt back when he first arrived at Inaba was coming back to him. Shaking his head, he sprinted past Yosuke and Chie, who broke into a run in turn, not questioning his sudden burst of speed.

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"Whew… Thank god, we finally made it back…" Chie whimpered as the group of teens stepped back onto the stage-like platform they'd arrived on. "That felt like it took forever… So what's the—what… on earth is that!?"

"What's wh…" Yosuke turned to see where Chie had started pointing, stepping back in shock, crashing into a surprised Souji. "S-something's coming!"

Sure enough, a dark shape could be seen moving through the fog, headed right for them. Souji gulped and felt his muscles tense as the figure got closer. He unconsciously stepped sideways, moving closer to Chie as Yosuke did the same. Closer and closer the figure got, before a red and blue… something came out of the fog and stopped in front of them.

Souji blinked slowly, staring at the bizarre _thing_ in front of them. It looked as if it belonged in the room of a child. It was short—reaching his mid-chest—and mostly red with a blue head and white face. Large black eyes stared back at him. The odd creature moved closer, looking the three of them up and down—though it didn't seem dangerous at all.

_He looks familiar too… _The silverette mused, _But, I wouldn't have forgotten meeting something THIS strange, would I? I mean… It's a bear… plush… thing. How could I forget meeting something like this? And yet…_

"Wh-what is this thing?" Chie sputtered, "A monkey…? A dog, maybe? A bear?"

"What in the…? Who…?" Yosuke sputtered, "What the hell is that!?"

"That's what I wanna know!" The bizarre living-plush doll cried in alarm. "Who are you guys? How did you get in here?"

"W-whoa…" Chie gasped, "It talked…! Wh-what the heck are you!? Y-you wanna fight? Huh!?"

The martial-artist took a fighting stance, looking ready to pounce on the bear at a moment's notice.

"Wh-what?" The bear stepped back, cowering. "D-don't yell at me like that!"

Souji stepped forward, raising a hand to stop Chie from advancing forward. He stopped just a few feet short of the bear and knelt down, offering the terrified creature a soft smile.

"Unfortunately… We're somewhat lost, and we have no idea how it was we got in here in the first place. Could you… tell is where we are? And… _what_ it is you are?"

"D-dude…" Yosuke muttered, "I wouldn't get too close. It could seriously go postal at any second and take us all out."

"Go... wha?" The odd bear stared at Yosuke inquisitively. "I don't deliver mail. I'm Teddie. And this is my home. But... you didn't throw those people in here?"

"No. We're just lost, and need a way to get back out," said Souji calmly in spite of Yosuke's continuously uttered commentary.

"Well then, why didn't you say so in the first place?!" Teddie rolled his eyes as though it had all been a simple matter, and with a flourish, he summoned a column of three television sets into the middle of the atrium.

"Whoa!" gasped Chie, her eyes wide with wonder. "How did you-- OW! Hey!"

"Hey, quit pushing, you stupid bear!" yelled Yosuke.

"You can't stay here any longer!" insisted Teddie, ignoring their protests. "It's dangerous when the fog lifts! And don't come back, either! It's for your own good!"

Souji tried to say something, anything, to get Teddie to wait, but in a strange whirl of black and white, he found himself sprawled out on the floor of Junes next to Yosuke and Chie, who appeared thoroughly irritated.

"What the heck was all that about?!" said Yosuke as he got up, rubbing his back-end.

"I don't know," murmured Chie, wincing as she too, rose to her feet, "but I'm really glad that's over."

"Me too," Yosuke sighed. Just as he turned to talk more about the strange adventure they had experienced, he leapt in place, twisting his legs together. "And now that we're _out_ of there… I'm going to go to the bathroom! _Now!!"_ He sprinted down the aisles as fast as he could, knowing exactly where the nearest restroom was.

Souji couldn't help but laugh in spite of the strangeness of the situation. He couldn't stop wondering why a bear, and one so strange, inhabited a world that shouldn't even exist. His stomach suddenly lurched and he felt weary, the idea of telling Chie he would simply go home for the day seemingly like a very good idea.

"Hey, Souji-kun? Do you mind if we just... go home?" whispered Chie, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "That... really wore me out. I think we should just sleep this off and talk about it tomorrow. What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea," said Souji in relief, glad he didn't have to mention it first. "Should I go tell Yosuke, or..."

"No, I can tell him. It's alright. I'll just pick up a few things while I'm here. I need to get some more Meat Gum..."

"Meat... Gum?" Souji blinked, unsure what to think.

"Yeah, it's really good! It's like... beef jerky, but it keeps its flavor a lot longer!" Chie grinned brightly at the thought. "I can give you a piece to try later, if you'd like."

"I'm... looking forward to it…" Souji said politely, making a note in the back of his mind to avoid reminding Chie about this odd promise.

"Great! Well, I'll go do that now! Have a safe trip home, Souji-kun!"

"Yeah, you too, Chie."

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Souji arrived home late, but he was thankful when Nanako asked if he wanted some eggs for dinner. He had completely forgotten to eat anything after his visit to the TV world, and the hot over-easy fried eggs settled his hunger quite well. After thanking his cousin by helping her clean the dishes, Souji excused himself and made his way to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He swiftly moved to his futon and fell unceremoniously onto the soft mattress, not bothering to change into his night-clothes.

The Midnight Channel was the least of his worries, his exhausted mind not caring about anything other than falling asleep as soon as possible.


	5. Fog in Which Memories

I apologize, I know I'm late in updating and I am truly sorry. I noticed the number of reviews I'd gotten a few days ago and I set a reminder for myself to update the story... and then I failed to do so. Chapter four is (so far) one of the longest, so I hope it's length makes up for my inability to remember to post.

Thanks to _**Fiyerna**_ and **_ToastedWhiskers_** for both beta-ing this when I didn't have the time to do so (so if there are any typos, take it up with those two.)

As always, fifteen reviews gets another update. Enjoy!

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* * *

Chapter Four:** _Kiri no Nakano Kioku wo Utta ("Fog in Which Memories are Lost")_

To say Souji's day had been long would be an understatement. The silverette was completely and utterly exhausted. He would have loved nothing more than to crawl into his futon and lay there for a week without having to move or get up for any reason. His muscles ached, and his head was just starting to throb with yet another one of the ever-popular headaches that he seemed to be getting from most everything as of late. His whole body just seemed to be ready to throw in the towel.

Yosuke had been kind enough to lend Souji his bathroom after he'd walked the equally, if not more-so, exhausted brunette home, to wash his face and clean his uniform the best he could. When he'd finished, the headphone-clad teen was already passed out on the couch, and the silverette had taken it upon himself to wake Yosuke enough that the teen could climb onto his back and carry him to his room. This had done nothing to help Souji's current fatigue, but it left him feeling much more relaxed about leaving Yosuke home alone after that afternoon's events.

On his way home, he ran into Yukiko on the flood plain. The raven-haired girl was dressed in a glamorous pink kimono and had taken refuge under a tree, seeming uneasy about going into the rain with only her parasol. He had stopped briefly and walked her to the gazebo under the cover of his own umbrella, where the two sat together and talked briefly about school and how well Souji had adjusted to the town.

Yukiko had seemed rather nervous and flustered as she spoke, but the silverette simply assumed that she was much shyer then he'd realized and she had no idea what to say to him. The conversation had drifted toward Chie briefly, and the raven seemed to calm down once Souji spoke of his approval and easy friendship with the martial artist. Listening to Yukiko speak of her fondness for the brunette girl made Souji faintly jealous. He couldn't remember having had a friend like that before, and it was faintly depressing to be reminded that he was in a town where—more or less—everyone grew up together and they'd had the same friends since childhood.

He now stood outside the door to the Dojima household, rubbing his forehead as he tried to compose himself enough to walk inside and not cause his cousin to worry. The last thing he needed right now was Nanako in a panic because he looked like he'd gotten mugged or thrown into a street fight. Fortunately, his appearance wasn't as bad as it had been earlier, and he could simply blame his fatigue on a club at school or claim he'd gone for a run.

Taking a deep breath, the silverette opened the door and stepped inside, smiling as best he could when Nanako's voice welcomed him back home. He sighed as he was finally able to settle himself down in a comfortable seat, silently thanking whoever had invented seat cushions. He leaned against the table, whimpering softly as he felt his back pop several times.

"Are you okay…?" Nanako asked quietly as she set a bento down in front of Souji, cradling a smaller one in her arms while she looked down at him curiously.

"I'm fine, Nanako." Souji smiled and nodded, picking up his chopsticks. "Don't worry about me. Would you mind if we watched the news for a bit…? You can have the TV when I'm finished eating. I want to check something."

The young girl nodded and reached for the remote, flipping the news on without complaint. A reporter popped up onto the screen in midsentence, talking about the latest murder, not at all to Souji's surprise.

_ "—local high school student Saki Konishi was found dead in the residential area. Since the body was positioned similarly to the last victim, and it was Ms. Konishi who found the body, the police believe this is a serial murder related to the first case. The coroner's report believes that Konishi's death was at one a.m. this morning. Because of the fog, the body was not discovered until—"_

As the reporter droned on, Souji felt his thoughts drifting back toward Yosuke. It was very likely that the brunette teen was passed out in his bed, not likely to wake until morning, but he couldn't help but wonder if would have been better for him to stay behind—if only for a few hours. The headphone-clad boy had been through a lot today, and he was faintly surprised the teen had been able to fall asleep as quickly as he had.

"Another incident…" Nanako sighed softly. "…Dad won't be coming home again tonight."

"Nanako…" Souji glanced over at the young brunette, a sympathetic look on his face. "Hey, Nanako, don't worry… It'll be alright. I'm here with you too, so…"

"…I'll be okay." Nanako smiled despite her depressed tone, and her gratitude from Souji's gesture could be seen in the faint curve of lips. "Could you help me with a few chores around the house?"

The silverette nodded, smiling softly. "I'd be hap-"

_ "—Amagi inn, located upstream of Samegawa River, is the town's oldest landmark."  
_  
Souji's attention was pulled to the TV as he watched an over-zealous interviewer dancing on the balls of his feet as he interviewed a perplexed Yukiko. It didn't take a genius to tell that the raven-haired girl was uncomfortable and utterly confused. The report continued to drag on as the reporter went further and further off-subject, losing Souji's interest quickly.

"Turn it off, Nanako…" Souji muttered as he stood up slowly, taking care to hide the screaming protest of his muscles by making his movements as slow as possible. "What did you need help with?"

"Well…."

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Helping Nanako around the house had been easier then Souji expected, but he still felt a rush of unnecessary gratitude when the young girl told him that they were finished. He bid Nanako goodnight and pulled the girl into a quick hug, reassuring her once more that everything would be alright before he slipped upstairs and into the second floor bathroom.

Steam filled the room as hot water poured from the faucet and filled the tub. Leaning over the back of the toilet, Souji opened the small window on the far wall to allow the excess steam to escape. The mirror had already started to fog, leaving Souji to stare at his blurred, shirtless reflection as he waited for the tub to finish filling.

When he was finally able to lower himself into the water, he sighed loudly in content. His eyes flickered shut as he leaned back against the marble wall of the tub, allowing his muscles to relax under the heat of the water. He opened his eyes when he heard a soft dripping sound, and he glanced toward the faucet which was still slowly trickling out water.

He sat up and reached out, quickly turning the hot water knob until the trickle finally stopped. Pausing, the silverette stared at his hand, the long, pale, slender fingers wrapped around the metal handle. He blinked slowly and pulled his hand away, gazing at his open palm as he leaned backward in the tub once more. Extending his hand forward, he turned his palm up so that it was facing the ceiling—almost as if he were holding something—before closing the hand quickly, crushing the invisible item.

Something stirred in the back of his mind—almost as if the something were chuckling in faint amusement. A far-away look filled Souji's eyes as a dazed smile graced his lips. He repeated the movement, opening his hand and then closing it into a fist quickly, muttering a name under his breath.

"Izanagi…"

The name had come so naturally to him earlier, almost as if he were recalling the name of an old friend. He shut his eyes as remembered the feeling that had filled him as he stood facing the two strange creatures that had burst from what was—or had at least looked like—the Konishi liquor store.

The store, of course, had merely been a replica. Something created inside the world of the TV that he and Yosuke had dared to venture inside again. Teddie, the strange stuffed animal-like creature they'd met on their first trip inside, had helped them navigate around the strange fog-shrouded world after they'd convinced him that they were not the ones throwing people inside his world. In return for his help they had promised to help look for the person who was throwing people inside.

At first, Souji had thought the trip would have been an easy, simple walk around the inside until they found something that might have been helpful to them or provided some sort of clue as to what was going on. Of course, they had found what they were looking for, but the clues that they had stumbled upon had only left them with more questions. They had become stuck in a mess much larger than they had anticipated… and neither of them had even begun to imagine that they might actually end up fighting monsters—even though it had been Souji who did the fighting.

The creatures, Shadows, which had appeared shortly after their arrival at the liquor store, were not at all pleased with Souji and Yosuke's meanderings about their world. Teddie had panicked when he sensed their approach and backed away, not bothering to help Yosuke, who had tripped as he too tried to back away. The bear had rushed past Souji, who stood frozen, staring at the creatures as the voice he'd heard on the night he first saw the Midnight Channel echoed in his mind.

The silverette blinked and looked down at his open palm again, opening and closing it several more times, as if testing how the motion felt. The smile on his face grew as he shut his eyes, imagining the glowing blue card levitating just over his palm as he quickly shut his fist once more.

"Izanagi…"

The presence in the back of his mind stirred again, and a feeling of contentment washed over Souji as he relaxed in the tub again, shutting his eyes. The moment the name had escaped his lips in the TV world and he had crushed in his hand the mysterious card that seemed to appear out of nowhere, it was as if one of the many holes he felt since he arrived in Inaba had been filled instantly. Something about the presence of that creature—Persona as he remembered the voice had called itself—was calming, almost comforting. It was familiar, something he knew but didn't know at the same time… but he did know that whatever Izanagi was… he was safe, and Souji felt much better knowing he was there.

Feeling himself begin to nod off in the tub, he decided that he would rather not awaken in cold water before leaving for school. Rising swiftly and retrieving a nearby towel, he pulled the drain-plug and began to dry himself off, thankful for the brief chance to relax and collect his thoughts. Wrapping the damp towel around his waist, he climbed out of the tub and made his way back to his room, where he hung the towel on his doorknob and changed into his pajamas.

As he laid down on his futon, his eyes flickered over to his cellphone. He briefly considered getting up to send Yosuke a text message to check on his brunette friend, but he highly doubted the other teen was conscious enough to register that his phone had even rang. The headphone wearing teen was likely passed out to the point where he could have been tossed into the middle of the busy Tokyo traffic and he would have been none-the-wiser.

_ I suppose I can't blame him…_ Souji thought as he stared up at his ceiling. _After going through all that… I can't blame him for being so tired. _The silverette shut his eyes, briefly playing over the dramatic events that had happened inside the liquor store.

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Yosuke stood quite still, the only visible movement was the trembling hand that held the picture he'd picked up off the counter in front of him earlier. Souji winced, the pained look on the brunette's face sending a sharp jolt of displeasure down his spine. It had been bad enough for Yosuke to go though the traumatic news from this morning and knowing that the girl he'd so affectionately looked up to was dead, but to hear that the kind treatment she'd given him had all been a lie and that he was nothing more than a 'pain in the ass' was cruel.

Souji stepped forward, raising his hand to give the brunette's shoulder a gentle squeeze of comfort, but before he could make contact, a low laugh filled the room, making them both freeze.

"It's so sad… I feel so sorry for myself… Boo hoo…" The voice was eerily familiar, sending a chill down both spines as the two teens turned, eyeing the figure several yards away in shock.

The figure was—or at least looked exactly like—Yosuke. The Yosuke replica was leaning against a large pillar of beer kegs, a sadistic smirk gracing its features. The copy wore the Yasogami High uniform with the same orange headphones draped around its neck as Yosuke. The only visible different Souji would spot were the bright yellow eyes that seemed to glow in the shadows of the shop.

"Actually…" the replica stepped forward, eyes sparkling with malice. "I'm the one who thinks everything's a pain in the ass. Hahaha!"

"H-huh?" Teddie gasped from Souji's right as the bear ran into the store. "Wh-what? Why are there two Yosukes?"

"W-who are you!?" the real Yosuke demanded, stepping forward. "What are you!? I-I wouldn't think any of that!"

The replica began to laugh again, throwing its head back as if the brunette had just told a hilarious joke. "Yeah, right… How long are you going to keep deluding yourself, huh? You don't care about anything, do you? Screw the shopping district, and Junes! You're sick of everything… especially being stuck being out here living in the sticks!"

"W-what are you saying?" Yosuke took a half-step backward, staring at his copy in horror. "I… that's not…"

"Saying…? I'm saying the_ truth_, aren't I? You always act so carefree… so _happy-go-lucky_ 'cause you're too so damn scared of being alone. You gotta be in a crowd if you wanna block out the pain of isolation, isn't that right? And what was all that crap you spewed earlier about wanting to check this place out for Saki-senpai? What a load! I know the real reason you came…" The other Yosuke's smirk grew as it stepped forward, making the real Yosuke take another step back.

The brunette shook his head rapidly, a slight tremble shaking his figure. "S-stop it!" he shouted, fighting to keep his voice strong.

The replica began to shake, doubled over holding its head as it tried to control the manic laughter that echoed in the shop. "Why are you so panicked, hm…? I thought I was spouting bullshit. No need to get so jumpy if I'm lying, right? Or… could it be… just maybe… I do know everything you're thinking! Wanna know why that is…?"

Yosuke shook his head again, crashing into a stack of barrels as he took another step backward.

"No…? I'll tell you anyway. I know everything you're thinking because… I **_am_** you! You only came here because you thought it sounded cool—like it'd be fun, a good time. What else is there to do in this shithole, hm? The girls at school won't pay attention to you at all, and Chie won't so much as give you a second glance with Yukiko-san around. Talk about _pathetic,_ jealous of a _girl! _As long as _those two_ are together, you're just 'some guy' that happens to sit near them. Chie doesn't need a guy like _you_ as long as she's buddy-buddy with _Yukiko-san_. She doesn't _need_ a friend like you—let alone a _boyfriend!_ She's probably just hands around with you for the merits anyway… She wants someone _cool,_ right? Someone strong and intelligent who can relate to all the strange martial-arts stuff she likes. You're just passing entertainment for her… She could _never_ go for a guy like you! You're too… **_boring._**

"Now a world inside the TV—_that's _exciting! And you've finally got a pal to share this newfound fun with, right? You were more than excited when Souji here showed up, because you finally thought you could find someone who wouldn't hate you the moment they realized who you were. He's someone from the city, and probably just as bored as you. Boredom… that's the _only_ reason you came here, isn't it!?"

"That's not true…" Yosuke muttered, the look on his face contorted with pain as his voice growing quiet and tone weakening. "Stop… I said stop it!"

"Tch… why should I!? You're just trying to act like a big-shot! You're scared stiff and you won't even admit it! You came in here because if all went well, hey, you might be a hero! Find clues to the mysterious murder case and play Superman as you brought them to the police. You were so sweet on Saki-senpai, but you took advantage of her death—the perfect excuse!"

"That's not true!" the brunette shouted, stomping his foot against the concrete floor. "What are you!? Who are you!?"

The replica chuckled. "I already told ya… I'm you. Your Shadow… There's nothing about you that I don't know."

Souji's watched as Yosuke tried to back further into the barrels of liquor he was currently pressed against. His muscles tensed as his fingers flexed around the silver golf-club he had gripped tightly in his hands. He stepped forward, slowly approaching Yosuke's side as the two 'twins' stared one-another down.

"Screw that! I don't know you!" Yosuke shouted, making Souji's muscles grew tenser. Someone was going to happen soon, the silverette could feel it. Something bad, and all he knew was that he needed to be near the brunette to keep it from happening.

"Yosuke-" Souji started, but was cut off as the headphone-clad teen growled and slashed a hand through the air.

"You can't be me, you son of a bitch!!!"

The replica beamed at Yosuke, stepping forward as a dark aura began to surround its frame. "That's right… say it again!!!"

"Y-you're not… me…" Yosuke was whimpering now, completely oblivious to Souji and Teddie's presence. "You're nothing like me! You don't know anything about me!"

The Yosuke copy burst into another fit of spine-chilling laughter as the real Yosuke went deathly pale. The brunette looked ready to bolt, but his legs didn't want to listen. He stood in place, trembling as the mirror-image of himself vanished, surrounded by a vast black aura. Yosuke shuddered violently and collapsed sideways just as Souji bolted forward, closing the last few inches of space between them and caught the teen before he could hit the hard floor.

The silverette threw his arm up to block his eyes as a white light burst from the aura, completely obscuring his vision. When the aura finally died down, Souji gasped sharply as he looked up. The creature in front of him was most definitely not the 'Shadow' he'd seem earlier. Whatever it was, it wasn't happy, and it's eyes—or what Souji assumed were its eyes—were locked on the brunette.

"Pain in the ass…" The voice was still the same as Yosuke's but the tone had gotten much darker than before. "I'll destroy anything that gets in my way… And once you're gone, I'll destroy that weakling!"

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Souji blinked and rolled over in his futon, glancing at his TV, sighing softly. The battle that had followed the Shadow's bizarre transformation was to blame for most of his current fatigue. Whatever Yosuke's 'Shadow' had turned into was strong, and the attacks had hit Souji harder than that of the two previous creatures that attacked outside the shop. Between the shock from the situation and trying to handle his newfound power, the silverette had no idea how he'd managed to defeat and calm the monster that had been attacking him.

Rubbing his arm, the silverette winced. The wound he'd gotten from the battle had stopped bleeding after Yosuke had managed to sneak a first-aid kit from the employee station at Junes, but it still throbbed violently in pain whenever he thought about it.

He rolled over again, returning his gaze to the ceiling as his mind wandered to the events that followed the battle.

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Only a few seconds after its defeat, the monster disappeared, replaced by the replica as it stood motionless in the middle of the liquor shop, staring at Yosuke's still form. Souji darted forward, returning to the brunette's side as he eyed the copy uneasily, but it didn't seem to be moving.

Yosuke shifted under the hand the silverette had placed on his shoulder and sat up, making Souji jump from the sudden, unexpected movement.

"I…" The brunette winced as he stood up, stumbling as he tried to regain his balance.

"Yosuke…" Souji muttered, stepping forward to steady the other teen. "Hey… Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah… fine. What… what happened…?"

Silver eyes focused on something past Yosuke's shoulder and the brunette turned, eyes widening slightly as he stared at the golden-eyed doppelganger.

"Y-you!" Yosuke shouted, taking a step forward. "You… you're not me…"

The Shadow, which had been completely still since its defeat, twitched but didn't move from its spot, gazing sadly at the brunette.

"That thing came from you, Yosuke…" Teddie muttered softly, "It'll go berserk again if you keep rejecting it."

"B-but…" Yosuke struggled to speak, his head bowed. "I…I… it… that…"

"Hey…" Souji stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on the brunette's shoulder. "It's alright, Yosuke… You're still you, no matter what that thing did or didn't say. Nothing changes; you're still Yosuke."

"…Still me, huh?" Yosuke chuckled sadly, staring at his shoes. "…Dammit, it… it hurts to admit this sort of crap about yourself, you know?" He turned and began to walk toward the replica slowly, stopping a few feet away.

"…I knew it wasn't lying, but… I was ashamed to admit it. I… I don't really think Senpai's death was an excuse to have some fun but…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "…No… There's no way to excuse it—or any easy way to say it. You're me… and I'm you. There's no other way to put it."

The copy nodded and stepped forward, a blue aura surrounding its feet as it faded away in a burst of blue light, a new figure taking its place as it levitated in the air.

Souji blinked, raising an eyebrow as he stared at the creature that was gazing down at Yosuke. The only way the silverette could describe it was a bizarre combination of Mickey Mouse, a Ninja… and Elvis. It almost looked like the protagonist of a children's hero cartoon. The thought made Souji chuckle. I guess every boy wants to be a hero at one point in his life…

"This… is my Persona… huh?" Yosuke's voice pulled Souji from his thoughts. The brunette turned around, smiling awkwardly. "I guess… we have the same power now, huh? I…ungh…"

"Yosuke!" Souji hurried forward as the brunette fell down to one knee, panting heavily.

"…When I heard Senpai's voice…" Yosuke's voice trembled as he spoke, something sparkling in the corner of his eyes. "…I wondered if that was something she was holding deep down inside. Hehe… It's so pathetic… 'He was a real pain in the ass,' huh? What a way to find out… It's… so embarrassing."

Souji stepped forward again as Yosuke looked up at him, smiling softly. "Man… if you weren't here, who knows what woulda happened to me. Thanks, Souji… But man! That was something! You defeated that thing all by yourself!?"

Souji blushed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I, ah… well…"

"Dude, you must be ridiculously strong. I didn't know you worked out!" Yosuke grinned, amused as Souji's blush grew darker.

"I, well… I… like to fish." What had made him say it, Souji had no clue, but the words slipped from his lips before he could stop them.

"You like to... _fish?"_ The brunette stared at Souji blankly. "…Huh?"

The silverette could only nod. "Big fish." He held his hands several feet apart, as it to emphasize his words.

"…So what, do you like… bench press Samegawa's Guardian everyday or something weird like that?"

Souji snorted, matching Yosuke's amused grin with one of his own. "Heh, yeah. Maybe… something like that."

The brunette laughed and shook his head, sighing softly. "Man, you're a complete weirdo, dude… Maybe that's why I can talk to you so easily. You're even weirder than I am… But still… I feel as if we used to talk like this all the time, but we only met each other a few days ago…"

"I don't know… Yukiko said the same thing. She said we might be 'kindred spirits' or something like that."

"Dunno… You might be right." Yosuke shrugged as he tried to standing again, failing miserably. "I just feel… how should I say this… comfortable around you. Safe, ya know? Like we've been best friends for years and we're suddenly able to see each other again… It's like… I dunno… something about you… I know I can trust you."

Something tugged at the back of Souji's mind as a rush of gratitude and affection built up in the silverette's chest toward Yosuke. He smiled and stepped forward, holding out his hand.

"…I trust you too, partner."

"Partner?" Yosuke tilted his head, taking the hand offered to him as Souji pulled the brunette to his feet. "Huh…. Hahaha. I kinda like the sound of that!"

Souji's grin grew. "Yeah, me too…"

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"…Kindred spirits, huh…" Souji yawned, snuggling deeper into the fabric of his sheets as he felt his mind begin to drift away. "…It'd make sense at least. I never believed in… stuff like that, but after this afternoon… I'd be hard pressed to not believe in something as simple as that…"

It'd be nice though… to know that I had a best friend all this time… just waiting for me to come around. Souji smiled at the thought and shut his eyes, allowing the sleep that had been tugging at the back of his mind for the past hour to finally take him into the world of dreams.

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"Good evening, and welcome back."

_…Go figure_. Souji thought as he opened his eyes, only faintly surprised to see that he was once more in the strange car-like room of a deep royal blue.

"…Good evening." The silverette replied politely with a nod.

"Oh?" Igor grinned, "Are you not pleased to see us? You needn't worry. You're still fast asleep in your world. I've summoned you in your dreams. Isn't that better than the last time? You haven't the danger of falling onto tracks this time."

Souji felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment as Margaret looked at Igor curiously, amusement dancing in her eyes. He was grateful that the blonde female had refrained from saying anything.

"I did promise that you would return here once you formed your contract a second time, and this condition seems to have been met. Now that there are no longer any complications, I can explain why you feel nostalgia regarding the town in which you currently reside."

Souji tensed, leaning forward in his seat, not daring to speak as he held his breath.

Igor chuckled softly and waved a hand lazily in the air. "There is no need to be so stiff, young man. You're going to give yourself a kink in the neck. Relax… lean back. I won't leave anything out—it is my job as your host to make certain that my guest sees his visit here to the very end… Unfortunately, I failed in doing this the last time you came here—or rather, you yourself failed in keeping the terms of your contract. Of course, this was unintentional."

The silverette frowned, tilting his head to the side. _Contract…? Is he talking about my promise with Teddie? But… I only promised to help him find out who was throwing people in the TV. Was I unable to do that before I left?  
_  
"Pondering your situation in your current state is meaningless, simply because you lack the key to the door you wish to unlock. While you were here as our guest one year ago, you followed the terms of your contract to the best of your ability. The bonds you created through your social links provided you with great power, and you would have maintained those social links by any means necessary. Such devotion is quite admirable, and because of that dedication, a power with greater authority than I has ordained that you deserve a second chance at fulfilling your con—My, that's quite a face you're making."

Souji felt his jaw drop slightly at Igor's words, slowly leaning back against the padded back of his seat. _Wait… powers… higher than him? Have I missed something? Is there someone else here I haven't noticed?_

As if reading his mind, Igor waved a hand through the air again and smiled. "There are no other inhabitants of this Velvet Room other than myself and Margaret. Yet while we are guests within your mind, where this room exists, it is you who are a guest of this room. Do you understand?"

Souji didn't understand it at all, but he didn't feel it was safe to question whatever it was that the bizarre older gentleman did mean. He simply nodded; deciding that going along with whatever the other was saying would save him another migraine when he woke up.

"Splendid!" Igor clasped his hands together, smiling. "Shall we move on?"

Souji nodded again.

"As previously stated, powers higher than I believed you deserved a second chance. Even I cannot fully understand the events taking place—However… the choice to take the chance or not is completely your own."

"So… If I felt like it, I could live this year exactly how I did before?"

Igor nodded. "If you wished… although you may not get a third chance. Keep that in mind."

Souji fell silent as he stared at the floor in front of him. He didn't understand anything that was going on at all, and he didn't have a clue how he was supposed to go about fixing whatever it was that he had done wrong the first time around, especially when he was clueless as to what he'd done poorly in the first place. He sighed and slowly ran a hand through his hair in frustration. _What am I supposed to do…? It's like I'm expected to solve a puzzle blind-folded. I can't fix a problem if I don't know what went wrong the first—_

"Now then, since you'll be pursuing the truth once more, it only seems fitting that you should remember what happened during your first attempt."

Souji looked up, blinking slowly, dazed_. …Can this man read minds?  
_  
Igor raised a slender hand into the air and waved it once. Souji was forced to cover his eyes as a bright flash filled the room. He heard Margaret gasp softly in shock somewhere in front of him, and when he uncovered his eyes; two vials were floating in the air in front of him. The first was filled with a silvery mist, and the second was filled with a deep navy-blue substance similar to that of the first vial.

Souji stared at them in question, glancing up at Igor as he slowly reached toward them. The old man nodded and waited until the silverette was holding them both before speaking again.

"Now then, open the dark vial, and drink its contents."

Souji frowned, looking from Igor to the contents several times before raising a slender eyebrow. _He expects me to just drink this… stuff? I don't even know what it is…  
_  
"The contents intrigue you, I see. But there is no need for concern. I will explain things to you as best I can. Within these vials are, to put it simply, memories. Each bottle contains the memories of an individual that may be transferred, or contained, through consumption. Should the original bearer of these memories consume them by varying means, they shall recollect the past as though nothing has changed. However, should the memories become exposed to the open air; they will dissipate and vanish, for memories are very fragile and delicate things."

"Then why are there two?" Souji asked, eyeing the two different colored mists in his hand. "Are they all mine?"

"No, not all of them." Igor smiled, his gaze fixed on the thumb of his glove. "The second vial is special. I do not know to whom these memories belong, but I am to make certain you consume both these memories as well as your own. You will be a carrier for these extra memories until the time comes for them to return to their rightful owner. They will not affect you in a negative manner, however, because they do not belong to you. You may think of them as a key that will not fit inside your own particular lock."

"…And it won't do anything to me?"

"You may feel an odd sensation in your throat as you drink them, but there will be no side-effects beyond the knowledge that they exist within you."

"And the other ones are…"

"Your own." Igor finished, "However, I must insist that you consume your own memories last. The reason for this will become clear after all is said and done."

It was a ridiculous idea. To drink something that could have been—for all he knew—meant to kill him. He stared at the vials, hesitating. …I suppose I've nothing to lose. By the way he talks, it sounds as if I did something wrong and I ended up dying anyway. I've nothing to lose if that's the case.

Popping the top of the darker vial, Souji drained the contents in one gulp, his nose scrunching as he did, in fact, feel an odd tingling sensation in his throat. Igor smiled idly as he watched Souji shift in his seat in discomfort, not liking the feeling of having—whatever it was—moving down his throat.

The feeling faded in seconds and Souji was left staring at the second vial—his own memories. Without waiting for further explanation or orders from either Igor or Margaret, he opened the glass tube and drained the silvery substance into his mouth.

At first, nothing happened, and for a moment, Souji believed Igor had played him for a fool, until his head split open—or that's what it felt like. White-hot pain shot through his body as images flashed in rapid succession before his mind. His mind barely had time to register one image before another one would appear, each overlapping with the next, looking like a slideshow gone haywire.

Voices filled his mind as he grabbed his head, fighting back the urge to scream in pain as he slide from his seat, landing with a soft 'thump' on the floor of the velvet room. Margaret gasped and stood up, freezing as Igor held up a gloved hand, a serious look on his normally joyous face. The blonde hesitated before slowly lowering herself back into her seat, watching with a pained expression as the boy considered a precious friend—and who had answered every request she had ever given—writhed on the floor in front of her.

"Master, can't we…"

"Do not be alarmed, Margaret. Please return to your seat... Regrettably, there is nothing we can do for him at this time. If you attempt to stop the pain, the memories may become fractured and incomplete."

The pain seemed to go on for days before it finally faded. Souji lay on the floor, panting heavily as the occasional muscle-spasm would shoot through his body before he would go still again. A thin layer of sweat coated his entire body, making him shiver as the images and voices stopped.

All was silent as the silverette slowly sat up, bend forward on his hands and knees as he tried to catch his breath. Everything—everything had come back to him. Every memory, every event… The time he'd spent with his friends and working on the case… the tender moments with Dojima and Nanako… everything.

His brow furrowed in frustration as he realized the memories stopped just short of what he believed to be November. He gulped and started to stand, before one, final memory hit him with such force he collapsed back down to his knees.

**~Flashback Start~**

He stood in his room, silently looking out over a fog-covered down. A shrill ring sounded from the pocket of his pajamas and he produced his phone, gazing at the screen.

_'Shirogane Naoto'_

Souji smiled softly, flipping open the phone and pressing it to his ear, a warm feeling rising in his chest.

"Naoto! I'm so glad you called, Merry Chri—" The silverette was cut off as Naoto's panicked voice shouted through the phone.

"S-Senpai! Th-the entire town…" Naoto was panting heavily, her breath ragged, as if she were running from something. Her voice trembled with a fear Souji had never heard in it before. He paled, his hand instinctively tightening around the phone as he gulped, forcing his voice to work. The smile that had been on his face vanished immediately as his eyes widened, terror coursing through his body.

"N-Naoto!? What—"

"I-it's filled with Shadows! T-there's t-too many… I-I can't…!" The sleuth's words were cut off as a muffled scream filled the receiver.

"No! NAOTO!" his own voice cried, "Naoto! Answer me! _Naoto!"  
_  
The sound of a gun being fired rapidly could be heard followed by another scream. A loud 'bang'—which Souji could only assume was Naoto's Persona casting a spell—went off before another, final, agonized scream filled his ears. There was a soft 'thump' as a body hit the ground and he the distinct clatter of the phone hitting cement before the line died.

The phone in Souji's hands slipped from his fingers and landed on the floor, the hard surface causing the battery to pop out and skid across the floor. He collapsed to his knees, his eyes burning as he slammed a first into the ground. A chocked scream escaped his throat as the tears overflowed and streamed down his cheeks.

Loud bangs drifted up the stairs as he heard the Shadows begin pounding on the front door. His eyes flickered briefly toward the various swords sitting in the corner of his room, but he didn't bother moving to claim one. His life had ended the moment the phone-line had died, and now that Naoto was gone, he saw no point in fighting for the life he'd wanted to share with her.

The door to his room burst open and Souji shut his eyes, waiting. He could hear the Shadows swarming inside, hissing and snarling loudly as the spotted the silverette sitting in the corner. I messed up… Souji thought, dully. I really… messed everything up. _Naoto… I'm so sorry. I couldn't protect you… I couldn't save you… I… Heh… I guess… there's no such thing as a second chance, is there?  
_  
Something sharp connected with the silverette's side and he cried out in pain. He felt his shirt stick against his skin as it was soaked by something warm, wet, and sticky. A broken smile graced his lips as he coughed, the taste of iron filling his mouth. He chuckled weakly as he tumbled forward, wincing as his body connected with the floor below him.

Opening his eyes one last time, his eyes strayed to the fog-shrouded window. To his astonishment, he noticed a butterfly sitting on the window sill, opening and closing bright blue wings as it seemed to look directly at him.

Souji instantly felt lightheaded, almost detached from his reality. He thought he felt himself continue to fall, as though the floor had vanished beneath him. He was falling endlessly, his vision blurred by a rush of images, of people and places and events, and then...

**~Flashback End~  
**

Souji felt bile rise in his throat, his mind returning to the present.

Igor waved his hand once more, the serious look never leaving his features as Margaret darted forward. The female helped the silverette move toward the basin that the snowy-haired man had materialized, rubbing his back gently as the teen heaved whatever had been in his stomach into the bin, his face ghostly pale.

_N-Naoto… my Naoto… I… couldn't save her. I didn't do anything!_

_ I… let her die…_


	6. Light of Fortune

First off, thank you to everyone who reviewed. I got some rather interesting ones this last chapter and I very much enjoyed seeing people trying to predict what is going to happen later in the story. (Sometimes you're right, sometimes you're wrong, and sometimes you're very, very off.)

I would, however, like to take the time to clarify a few things I think may have been a little confusing...

- I was aiming for Philemon with the butterfly (as he IS the butterfly) not Minato. Minato is off... well, wherever it is he was sent at the end of Persona 3 and Elizabeth is off attempting to find him (If he shows up in Persona 5 and speaks, I'm going to laugh myself into a fit.)

- Naoto _isn't_ dead. She _was_ dead, but she isn't anymore. Remember, Souji was sent back in time to "redo" all that he did in attempts to save Naoto from dead. The chapter ended like that because his last memory _was_ of Naoto dying, therefore you can imagine he was very distressed. What would you do if you remembered getting a phone call from the one you loved most and the last thing you hear was their scream?

- This goes get explained (kinda...) in later chapters, but Souji doesn't have _all_ his memories. He doesn't remember Adachi being the true villain, or anything about Namatame. His memories end sometime around the end of October, thus he doesn't remember Nanako either [there is a reason for this, but it's a spoiler.] I suppose the reason I can tell you is because, depending on Souji's choices, they could change the final outcome of what happens in the end of the story, and thus, his memories of what happened surrounding Naoto's death are a bit foggy. (Also, I don't want to copy what happened in the "New Game Plus" story I mentioned in the first chapter.)

- The vile of memories... almost everyone who left a review tried to guess who these belonged to, but... I'm not going to tell you. I'm sorry to say, I'm leaving that up to your own minds to play with and mull over. After all, it wouldn't be fun if I told you whose they were, would it?

_**Now, the last issue I would like to address...**_

Someone told me a few days ago that asking for reviews was out of line and something that shouldn't be done on this site, and proved that I was childish and greedy among other things. I'm not going to point fingers or defend myself in an attempt to "look good", but I would like to explain what my goal in asking for reviews was--I'm not expecting this to atone for what I did, should I have offending people with asking in the first place, I just want to give my reasoning.

I'm not out to up my review count or gain fame, the reason I keep asking for X reviews (in this case, fifteen) is because I want to know people are still interested in the story and the way in which I am writing it isn't going off into the realm of ridiculous ideas and I end up completely warping the Persona 4 concept.

Each chapter takes about six hours to write (after adding more ideas, re-writing certain scenes, rewriting the adding ideas, and then debating if something needs to be there or not) so it's quite time consuming. I want to make sure I'm not allowing myself to venture too far off into something that doesn't make sense.

I want to make sure the concept of the idea stays interesting to people... but by all means, if asking for the reviews is offending people, please let me know in the next review you leave (should you leave one) and I'll stop asking for X reviews until I update, and I apologize if anyone got offended by this.

Also... I'll be honest, part of the reason is to keep myself from getting lazy and neglecting to write said promised chapter after reading the number of requested reviews. They work as something of a "self warning". When I get ten or so reviews, it's a bit of a red alarm for myself to get my butt in gear and start writing so that I'm able to post the next chapter (as promised) without making anyone wait for weeks (or even months) for an update.

But, as I said, if I'm angering or offending people by saying, "I'll update after I get X reviews," tell me and I'll stop. I write because I love to write, not for fame or glory... So if I seem like I'm exploiting all of you... please, let me know.

* * *

**Chapter Five:** _Fortune no Hikari ("The light of Fortune")_

"…Are you alright?" Margaret's soft voice broke Souji out of the dazed trance he'd fallen into when his stomach had been emptied.

The silverette nodded, not trusting his voice as the blonde gently helped him back into his seat before hesitantly returning to her own. Souji shuddered and rubbed his arms, trying to calm the trembling that had overpowered his slender form. _Naoto… she… but… he said I was getting another chance, right…? T-then Naoto… she isn't…_

"…She isn't dead." Souji jumped, jerking his gaze upward to meet Margaret's. "The female, Naoto Shirogane, she isn't dead… …No, that isn't right. She isn't dead _anymore._ When my Master said that you'd been given a second chance, he meant a second chance for everything."

"Then I've gone back in time…?"

"That is a reasonable conclusion." Igor nodded, "Simply put, it is as if you've turned back the clock an entire year and you're starting at the beginning once more. Now… shall we find out why you've been given another chance?"

The silverette opened his mouth to ask what Igor meant, but before he could speak, the snowy-haired man had waved his hand over the table in front of him, and the familiar deck of cards appeared in a small flash of light. He flipped the first card, laying it face down upon the table before turning it over, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Ahhh... I see." Igor chuckled, "It seems that your second chance has been brought about by your profound connection to the Fortune Arcana. Very interesting... As to why this might be the case, I cannot say. However, the Fortune Arcana will be of primary importance should you wish to avoid previous mistakes."

"…Fortune?" Souji repeated softly, his gaze falling to the floor. "If I'm to fix my mistakes, then…"

"You will require the assistance of Fortune." Igor nodded as he smiled. "Do you have any idea as to what this means?"

_Heh, even in what would have been your death… You never once let me go, Naoto. You once told me that you'd follow me anywhere… Somehow I feel as if this isn't what you meant._ Souji couldn't help but smile weakly as he nodded his head slowly, ignoring the feeling of nausea dancing in his stomach. "I think I understand… at least, I've got an idea of what it is I need to do." _I might not remember everything from that time… things are hazy around the end of October, but I distinctly remember times with my friends in November... However... I can't remember anything from December…_

"Wonderful! Now—"

A shrill ring filled the Velvet Room and Igor looked up, his smile widening.

"It seems that the time has come for you to return to your own world. 'Til we meet again…"

"Huh? W-wait! I still have more ques—" Souji was unable to finish as the room around him seemed to swirl and fade away into an abyss of white mist. The ringing was steadily growing louder and Souji felt himself slipping away from the dream-like world of the Velvet Room.

When he next opened his eyes, the dream had gone and he was staring at his ceiling. Off to the side, he could hear the shrill beep of his cell-phone going off. Blinking slowly, Souji rolled over in bed, carefully piecing together everything that had just happened. _That dream…. With Igor and Margaret… I didn't lose any of the memories from it… then… it really happened? But…_

His phone rang again and Souji pushed the thoughts aside for later, scrambled out of his futon and over to the dresser. Grabbing the small flip-phone, the silverette opened it and pressed the receiver to his ear without looking at the screen.

"Hello…?"

"…Souji?" The silverette blinked and glanced at his clock. It was just barely five-thirty in the morning.

"Yosuke? Why are you calling so…"

"Can we… talk before school today?"

"Talk…?" Souji had been inclined to ask 'why,' but the words died in his throat before they could form. "Yeah, sure. How about we meet up at the flood plain on our way to school?"

Yosuke paused before muttering. "…Yeah. That'll be fine. I'll see you then."

The line died and Souji was left staring at his phone, perplexed. _I don't remember him calling the last time around… Thinking about it… Yosuke's Shadow was different too. It didn't mention Chie the first time we encountered it either. Could it be that… I've already started to change things?_

"I wonder what—gaugh!" Stumbling, Souji just barely managed to catch himself from tumbling forward. He winced and lifted his foot, rubbing the first two toes slowly as he looked down to see what he had tripped over.

"…A box?"

Frowning, the silverette turned his light on before kneeling down beside the strange cardboard box that seemed to have materialized in his room. It hadn't been there before he'd fallen asleep and he was certain that no one had entered the room. The flaps were loose and it was easy to see that the box had not been sealed by any means. Hesitating slightly, the teen slowly reached for the first flap and lifted it, blinking as a small sheet of white paper drifted to the floor.

_'I was able to retrieve these before you were sent back to start over again. I wasn't sure what function each of them held, but the condition in which they were kept indicated to me that the items themselves were of precious value to you. Now that your memories have returned, I feel that these should be given back to you as well.  
-Margaret'_

"Items…?" Souji reached for the second flap and opened the box the rest of the way, a soft smile gracing his lips as he stared at its contents. "…The gifts everyone gave me."

He picked up the first item on the top, slowly turning the white bandage-like material in his hand. _From Yosuke…_ He reached into the box again, pulling out a pair of wristbands. _Chie… and that charm… Yukiko gave it to me._

Memories surfaced and played themselves in his mind as Souji removed each item from the box. A family picture from Nanako, the coffee mug given to him by Dojima…

"But… where is…?" As he moved one of the larger items out of the box, a smaller, darker box caught his attention. He grabbed it and pulled it out, turning the small navy-blue box over in his hands.

A silver ribbon held the box shut, the color and shade of the fabric matching his hair perfectly, and the deep navy blue of the box was just like…

"I knew it," the silverette muttered, pulling away the ribbon to remove the lid. "…Naoto."

Sitting inside the box, safely snug against gray-velvet fabric was a single item. A small badge; a finally crafted silver crest adorned the front that read, 'Detective Seta' in elegant script. His smile grew as he flipped it open and looked at the inside. His own picture smiled back at him, the small words 'Crafted by N.S' written in minuscule text in the lower right corner of the ID.

"…I suppose this is all the proof I need to know that wasn't a dream."

Placing the item back in the box gently, Souji rubbed his eyes, his brain too active for him to fall back asleep successfully. Standing up, he stretched and quietly moved around his room, dressing himself and gathering what he needed for the day. He pulled his uniform jacket on as he slipped into the bathroom, quickly washing his face before sneaking down the stairs. If he couldn't sleep, he would make good use of the time he had.

Within minutes the entire first floor of the Dojima residence was filled with the warm, mouth-watering scent of breakfast. At each place sat a plate generously filled with eggs and toast. Next to each plate was a bowl of rice with a pair of chopsticks balanced on the rim. Fish sizzled in a pan on the stove as Souji moved quickly throughout the kitchen, throwing together a rather large bento for lunch as he scurried around and tried to finish breakfast before his uncle or cousin woke up.

"Now I just need to make some coffee and…" The silverette pull three mugs from the cabinet, pausing as he stared at the coffee beans on the counter. _That's right, Dojima always insisted on making the coffee… He said it was the one job that…_ He set the mugs down near the tin of coffee mix, returning to the stove as the fish began to pop loudly. _Looks like his is finished…_

"Souji…?"

"Good morning, Uncle Dojima." Souji said with a wide smile, carefully sliding one of the small fish he'd just finished cooking onto everyone's plate. "I hope you're hungry. I wasn't sure if Nanako would be awake before you left or not, but I thought I'd make some for her as well."

"It, ah… smells great. I remembered sis saying that you could cook enough to fend for yourself but… I didn't expect to be served breakfast anytime soon." The detective walked over to the counter, noticing the three mugs sitting next to the coffee maker. "…You didn't make any coffee."

Souji shook his head. "I know that you…" he trailed off, wincing. It wasn't as if he could tell Dojima that he'd already learned from the man himself that it was his 'job' to make coffee. It was going to be difficult enough trying to hide his 'secret' while living in a house with a detective who seemed to pick up on every white-lie he told. "…Well, _mom_ told me that you always make the coffee. I didn't get a reason… she just said that I was to make sure I never tried to take the job from you."

"Did she?" Dojima asked, looking faintly surprised as he started up the coffee maker. "I'll have to remember to thank her for that… As silly as it is, this job is small, but important to me."

_I know…_ Souji thought, offering Dojima a small smile of understanding.

"Whaz… that smell?" A tired voice called from the hallway as Nanako stumbled into the room, dazed from having just woken up. "Dad…? Did you make breakfast?"

"Hahaha, nope." Dojima slapped Souji on the back, a grin forming across his features. "I just got up. Looks like this guy's got some skill in the kitchen. We don't have to live off bento for the year—uh, at least, on the days he doesn't mind—"

"I wouldn't mind cooking meals." Souji cut in quickly, "I might not be able to make dinner every night, but I could handle breakfast and lunch once in a while." _I didn't cook enough for you two last time… I want to make up for that._

"This is great…" Dojima muttered, taking a large bite of eggs. "Man, if this is what you can do for _breakfast_ I can't wait to see your lunch. At this rate, I'm not gonna want to hand you back over to my sister."

_I'd rather you didn't…_ Souji thought sadly. _I'd be happier if I could stay here with you and everyone else when the year ends…_

Shoving the thought aside, the silverette forced a small smile. "Kidnapping, detective? I expected better from an officer of the law."

Dojima chuckled. "Well then, maybe I'll just 'borrow' you longer than planned."

Quickly downing the rest of his breakfast, Ryotaro stood up and placed his dishes in the sink, grabbing his jacket off the chair. "I'm off. Don't stay up and wait for me tonight, I'm not sure when I'll be home."

"Bye dad…" Nanako's called as loud as her muffled mouthful of eggs would allow.

"Have a good day, Uncle."

The front door rattled as it was opened and then shut again, leaving Souji and Nanako in near silence.

"This is _really_ good! Your eggs are a lot better than mine…" Nanako smiled, quickly forking the last of the food into her mouth. "Will you make me breakfast again tomorrow?"

Souji chuckled as he stood up and disposed of his dishes, ruffling the brunette's hair. "Sure, and the day after that too. I don't mind."

"Yay!" Nanako smiled happily, giving Souji's chest a warm, light-hearted feeling as he watched his cousin slip off her chair to take care of her own dishes.

"I'm meeting up with a friend before school today, so I'm leaving early. Will you be alright on your own?"

Nanako nodded, her mouth full of juice. She set the cup down and bent down, picking Souji's school bag up off the floor and holding it out to him.

"I'll be alright… Thank you for breakfast."

The silverette shook his head. "Don't thank me, we're family. I'll see you later."

"Bye!"

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"Yo!" Yosuke greeted with a grin as his bike came to a stop in front of the tree Souji was waiting under at the flood plain. "I'm glad you made it… Did you watch your TV last night?"

"TV…? You mean the Midnight Channel again?" The silver-haired teen shook his head, "No, I was exhausted… I feel asleep almost as soon as I got in bed. Why? Did you see something?" _After Yosuke… the last time this happened, I wasn't as tired as I was yesterday. I'd seen the Midnight Channel and in the end… it was Yukiko who appeared. Given that, I could easily prevent Yukiko from being kidnapped in the first place, but… would that really be for the best? When everyone had to face their Shadows… it almost seemed like a well-needed release._

"I got up to go to the bathroom by chance," Yosuke's voice pulled Souji from his thoughts. "It was about eleven-fifty, and I figured I should stay up, you know? Just to be safe… and it's a good thing I did. I saw someone."

"Could you tell who it was?" Souji asked, taking care to make his tone sound curious. _I can't let him know that I already know who it is. If I told him I'd already lived through this year once… No, that would make things way more complicated then they needed to be. I didn't get my memories back in time to save Saki Konishi or the announcer... and I don't want him to think that I cast their lives aside._

"No, I couldn't…" Yosuke sighed, shaking his head. "The image was _way_ to fuzzy… but if someone has shown up on TV, then we can't ignore it. I'm pretty sure it was a girl but… the picture wasn't clear enough to be sure."

"I see…" Souji sighed, running a hand through his hair. _…I know who it is, but if I give him, Chie, or Yukiko and sort of warning… would they turn on me and accuse me of being the culprit? Even if I prove to them that I know things that they only told me… they could easily say that I stalked them._

"Why don't we check it out after school? Maybe Teddie can tell us something."

Souji nodded. "Yeah, good idea." _He won't be able to…_

"If someone is using that weird world as a weapon to murder people… that's unforgivable! We have to find the culprit, no matter what it takes! We're the only ones who can!"

Souji smiled softly, nodding. _His resolve for the case is just as strong as it was the first time. Yosuke… you're just like I remember._

"I mean, there's no way the police can do this. Who'd believe us if we said that the murderer was killing people by tossing them into the TV?"

The silverette chuckled softly. "Not many… I'm sure we could prove it to them by sticking our own hands into one they might have at the station, but…"

"No way, dude." Yosuke muttered, "If we can't find the _real_ murderer before we go around doing stuff like that, there's no way they're gonna believe us if we say we're not the culprit…. But, speaking of sticking things into the TV… I tried sticking my head in last night, you know, the way you did? And it worked! I guess… I really do have the same power you do now, huh?"

"That's good…" Souji grinned, "I won't be able to do all the fighting on my own…"

The brunette smiled and nodded. "You can count on me! I mean, my power isn't as strong as yours, you got it first after all but… I really feel like, as long as you're with me, I can find the culprit and solve the case! Well… _we_ can, anyway."

Yosuke held out his hand, taking Souji's firmly when the silverette returned the gesture. "Let's do our best, partner!"

Warmth spread from the tip of Souji's fingers, up his arm and throughout the remainder of his body. He smiled, nodded, silently agreeing with Yosuke's words as he shut his eyes briefly, barely listening to the soft voice whispering in the back of his mind. _The Magician… I didn't realize until now just how empty I felt without the bonds of my friends. Memories can only fill so much… I'll have to do my best to make up for all the time I didn't spend with everyone this time around. School will be even easier than it was before and I'll have more time to be with others._

"Oh, man! We'd better hurry… Shit, King Moron will have our heads if we're late."

Souji nodded and released Yosuke's hand quickly, realizing that he hadn't let go. The brunette didn't seem to mind as he adjusted his bike and started down the road quickly, the silverette following close behind the yellow bike at a sprint.

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"We really should apologize to Chie…" Yosuke muttered as he leaned against Souji's desk, glancing around the near-empty classroom. "We really worried her yesterday…"

"We did…" Souji muttered, feeling a guilty tug in his chest as his mind wandered to the previous day and the _real_ first time this had happened. "But… something tells me that she was more worried about one of us than the other."

"Wha…?" Yosuke laughed, slapping Souji's shoulder. "Dude, I know you're the transfer student from the city and all, but seriously, dude, don't get too full of yourself. Chie isn't the type of girl who hands out her heart to just any-"

"I meant _you…_" The silverette raised an eyebrow, putting extra emphasis on the word _you._ "I think it was _you_ whom Chie was worried most about… and after your Shadow, well… I can't help but think that—"

"D-dude! Shut up!" Yosuke sputtered, his face turning a bright shade of red as he looked around the room frantically, praying that no one had heard the silverette. "I-I don't know what you're talking about. That copy was just trying to get a rise out of me by saying stuff that was—"

"—completely true?" Souji provided, a devious smirk crossing his features. "Isn't that what you said after you accepted 'him'? That all he—you—said was true, and that you just didn't want to admit it?"

"I… t-that… it… but…" the brunette struggled to piece together an excuse that would release him from Souji's knowing gaze. "It… well, I mean… y-you didn't believe _everything_ that he…I… it… said… right?"

Souji chuckled softly. "Oh? Is that the case? Well, then I suppose you wouldn't mind if I asked her out…?"

Yosuke went rigid, giving the silver-eyed teen a look torn between desperation and a glare. "…Dude, you're an ass…" The brunette finally muttered, crossing his arms stubbornly as he looked away. "Fine, maybe what my Shadow said about her was _right,_ okay? But _all_ of it was right… Chie would be so much more interested in a guy like _you_ then some loser like _me._"

"Can you prove that?" Souji asked, his mind wandering back to several discussions he'd had with Chie about the brunette himself. _For a while I was worried that she'd end up falling for me, but… she really never had anything bad to say about Yosuke. She always looked happy when she talked about him—even more-so than Yukiko. I wonder if, without knowing it, I've already started to change the future. Yosuke's Shadow was a lot different than before… and if his was different, then…_

"Hey, dude… You keep spacing out on me. You sick or somethin'…? I wasn't feeling too hot either, but I'm alright today. A little groggy, I guess but… If you want to wait until tomorrow to go see Teddie, then…"

"No, I'm fine." Souji forced a small smile as he shook his head. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately, and I—huh? Oh… It's Chie."

Yosuke turned so quickly that he fell off the silverette's desk, barely managing to stay on his feet as Chie's head poked into the room, looking around frantically until she spotted the two males. She seemed to sigh softly in a brief moment of relief before darting into the room and making her way over to them quickly, panic dancing across her face.

"Oh, Chie!" Yosuke started, turning to face the martial-artist. "Look, um… About yesterday… I—we're, that is—sorry we worried you… I—we, sorry—didn't mean to make you panic or anything, and I—"

"Nevermind that…" Chie muttered, shaking her head in dismissal. "It's fine, _fine._ But… Is Yukiko still not here…?"

"Yukiko-san?" Yosuke repeated, frowning. "Uh… no…? I don't think so, at least, I haven't seen her yet. There's still a little time before class starts, so…"

"Oh man… What should I do?" Chie whimpered, looking upset. "Hey, was that stuff you two were talking about for real…? You know, the stuff about the Midnight Channel and the stuff on it being related to that other world?"

"Huh? We were just talking about that. We're thinking of checking it out later… Why?"

"The person on TV yesterday…" the brunette female began, looking upset. "I-I think it was Yukiko. That kimono the girl was wearing looks like the one Yukiko wears at the inn, and… and she wore the same one on the day of the interview that was shown on TV too. I-I got worried, so I e-mailed her last night but… she hasn't responded to me yet. I called her earlier in the evening and she said she'd be at school today but… I-I…"

"Chie…" Yosuke muttered, glancing toward Souji, his eyes silently asking for help.

Souji shrugged and tried to look nonchalant as he nudged Yosuke forward with his foot, tapping the back of the brunette's legs with his toe. '_Comfort her,'_ he mouthed, giving the headphone-clad teen a stern look.

"Hey… Chie, calm down, okay?" Yosuke muttered, taking a step forward. "We get the picture… You still haven't heard anything from her then?"

"…No." Chie muttered, defeated as she bowed her head.

"Well…" Souji began, quickly summarizing what he and Yosuke had learned of the other world to the brunette female, taking care to leave Yosuke's Shadow out of it, earning a grateful nod from the other male.

"W-wait… so… y-you're saying Yukiko was thrown inside!?"

"We don't know that yet… We should check if she's safe first. Give her a call, alright?"

Chie nodded and stepped aside, pulling out her cellphone, falling silent as she pressed the receiver to her ear. Several seconds passed by and the worried look on the female's face grew deeper as she slowly lowered the phone and turned to face the other two again.

"S-she's not answering… Her voicemail picked up."

"Are you… serious?" Yosuke sounded surprised, sighing in frustration as he ran a hand through his hair. "Then… she's really in that place?"

"S-shut up!" Chie choked, shaking her head. "Stop it! She hasn't been… she isn't… I-I bet she's busy or it's an errand or something! I-I'm calling the inn! She might be helping out and she wouldn't be able to answer her cellphone if she was!"

She scanned through her contacts and pressed the phone to her ear again, muttering 'pick up, pick up' again and again under her breath, sighing in relief as a small 'click' could be heard.

"Is this Yukiko!? Oh… Thank god." Chie smiled as her grip on the phone loosened slightly, nodding and muttering into the speaker as she listened to Yukiko speak on the other end of the line. "…That's alright, don't worry about it. I'll e-mail you again later."

"…So? She's alright?" Yosuke asked, looking relieved himself.

Chie nodded, smiling. "Yeah, there was a huge reservation at the inn and she needs to help out today. She won't be here tomorrow either but… this has been known to happen at least once and year and—geez! Yosuke! You got me worried over nothing you big… big… jerk!"

"S-sorry!" Yosuke sputtered, looking shocked at the sudden attack. "I mean, we thought that for a reason. I wasn't trying to scare you or anything."

"Yeah? What's the reason?"

"Well, we thought that the people who appeared on the TV were already inside the TV, and that would make sense. If you're in it, you'd appear on it… but since Yukiko is still in out world…"

Souji bit his lip to refrain from speaking; pretending to take a sudden interest in pulling his morning books out of his bag and making sure his pencil was filled with lead. _I can't say much of anything. If I say too much, I'll give myself away, but if I say too little… _

"We'll meet up at Junes after school," Yosuke nodded to himself. "We can discuss things there."

Souji and Chie nodded in agreement, just as the bell rang for morning classes.

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"Alright, alright… That's enough of my sorry escapades…" Yosuke cut Souji off as the silverette explained in the best detail he could of all that had happened last night. He had taken to keeping the finer details of Yosuke's Shadow vague and he was rewarded with another grateful nod. "Anyway, we really need to find out what's going on inside but… there's too many people around here."

"How would we find out, anyway…? Asking that Teddie guy?" Chie asked, looking curious.

"Yeah… Man, I forgot about the sale in the electronics department today." The brunette sighed. "I don't know how we're gonna… Oh! I got it… Hey, Souji, come 'ere a sec."

Yosuke walked over to the TV they had used to enter the strange world of fog and beckoned Souji over, standing close to the silverette's left. "Chie, take his other side and make a wall with me… We're gonna try and call Teddie over."

"…Call him over?" Souji repeated, feigning innocence.

"Yeah, I bet that bear is wandering around the entrance anyway. I bet you could get his attention."

"Ah… I see." Souji nodded and leaned forward, pressing his hand against the screen, smiling as it slipped through up to his wrist. He wiggled his fingers, trying to gain the attention of the—hopefully—close Teddie. _I need to be careful… the last time I did this… _It only took several seconds before he felt something brush against his fingers, but before he could pull back, something sharp clamped onto his hand and he yelped in shock.

"Ouch!" The silverette jerked his hand back, cradling it in his other hand as he stared at the TV in shock. _H-he did it again! He **bit** me!_

"Wh-what's wrong!?" Yosuke asked, sounding panicked as he leaned forward to look at Souji's hand. "What…huh!? What the heck happened!?"

"Not so loud you idiot!" Chie hissed, giving the brunette a reproachful look. "You're gonna make people suspi—D-dude! Is that a _bite_ mark!? Hey… Are you okay?"

The silver-eyed teen looked slowly between his hand and Chie, a light frown tugging at his lips. _For a stuffed bear… Teddie sure has sharp teeth._ "Y-yeah… I'm fine." He looked down at the deep tooth-marks on his hand, wincing as several drops of blood fell to the floor. _…Ow, that… that hurt._

"Oh man, that really looks like it smarts…" Chie muttered, "That stupid bear must have done it."

"_How?"_ Yosuke asked, looking just as shocked as Souji. "He's just a stuffed animal! I didn't even know he had teeth."

"Hey, you!" Chie hissed at the TV screen. "We know you're in there!" She offered Souji an apologetic look as she gave the screen a sharp tap, frowning when her own hand didn't go through.

_"Oooh! Is this a game!?"_ Teddie's voice could be heard softly though the TV's built-in speakers.

"No it's not a game!" Yosuke growled, "Stop trying to turn everything into one! Look, is there anyone in there with you?"

_"Who's 'anyone'?"_ Teddie asked, sounding faintly annoyed. _"I'm a lonely little bear, just like always… The land is so… bear-ren…"_

Souji bit back a groan. He loved the bear as much as he loved any of his newly remembered friends, but somewhere in the back of his mind he had hoped that—just maybe—Teddie might not had had the same poor jokes he bad before. _Well, at least that's one thing I know that won't change this year…_

"Are you sure there's no one else in there?" Chie asked, sounding worried. "No one?"

_"I'm not lying!"_ Teddie whined, offended. _"My nose is working as good as ever."_

"I'm going to warn Yukiko anyway." Chie sighed, "Since she's helping out at the inn I don't think she'll be able to go anywhere alone, but I want to be safe, just in case."

"Good idea," Yosuke nodded. "You'll walk with her to school on Monday too, right?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll pick her up on my way…"

"Hopefully we're learn more on tonight's Midnight Channel. Let's just hope it's all a misunderstanding…"

Souji nodded in an attempt to look comforting, knowing the efforts were futile. _I wonder… if I were to go to the Amagi Inn tonight and wait… Would I catch the culprit? Did I know who it was before and the things that happened did because I couldn't catch them in time…?_

"Hey, Chie, give Souji your number..." Yosuke said, "We'll be able to call each other after the Midnight Channel."

"Huh...?" Chie blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Um, sure... What's your number, Souji?"

"Oh, it's…" The silverette pulled out his phone, blinking in surprise as he realized that all his previous contacts had been restored to his phone. He read his number allowed and nodded quietly as he pretended to punch Chie's in, a soft smile gracing his lips as he looked at the first number he had on speed dial.

_'Shirogane Naoto.'_

Something purred in the silverette's chest as his finger brushed over the call button, the purr twisting into a painful tug as he realized he wouldn't be able to use the number for at least another few months. _Naoto… You don't have any clue I even exist yet… but I can't help but miss you. _

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_ It's almost time…_ Souji thought to himself as he gazed out his window, watching the heavy rainfall beyond the glass. _Yukiko will be on the TV soon… Then Yosuke will call and he'll tell us to meet up at Junes tomorrow. Then…_ Souji paled and rubbed the bridge of his nose, groaning.

"Oh no… the weapons…" The silverette winced, remembering the furious look on his Uncle's face when he'd been dragged in with Yosuke for carrying the blades—fake or not. "Damn… How can I convince him not to bring them?"

The room suddenly lit up as the TV burst into life, jerking Souji from his troubled thoughts. He blinked, staring at the screen with a stupefied look, his brain quickly trying to process why he was looking at Yukiko in a large and abnormally fluffy pink dress.

_"Good evening!"_

Souji blinked, listening to the raven-haired continue in a cheerful tone, smiling brightly at what he could only assume was meant to be the viewers. _It doesn't look as if her Shadow has been changed at all yet… that's good. At least I'll be able to get over the first hill without much trouble._

_"—come prepared! I've got my lacy unmentionables on stacked from top to bottom! I'm out to catch a whole harem and the best of the lot is going to be all mine!"_

The silverette winced, sighing as he watched the girl who—at least looked like—Yukiko turn away from the screen and run inside the large castle-like building behind her. He shook his head and turned off the TV manually, pulling out his phone as he reached for the light-switch. _I can't help but think I should have done something to change at least that… I'm not sure if how I'm going to handle having to watch everyone's Shadows a second time._

He turned and walked over to his futon, sitting down slowly and stared at the screen of his phone. No less than a minute later the screen lit up and a shrill beeping filled the room. Flipping it open, he placed the receiver against his ear and waited for Yosuke to speak.

"H-hey! Did you see that!?" Yosuke gasped into the phone. Souji could almost see the wide-eyed look on the brunette's face. "That was Yukiko-san for sure! It looked like her, sounded like her—I mean, it even said her name."

_I know…_ Souji thought dully, glancing up at the blank screen of his TV. _I know it **looked** like her, but… That was her Shadow, Yosuke. That's what we're going to have to fight in a few days._

"Although… Wasn't all that stuff she was saying kinda… weird? The whole thing looked like a crappy TV show. Wasn't it like this the last time too? What could all this mean? What are we supposed to-!"

"Calm down, Yosuke." Souji said firmly, cutting the brunette off. "Listen to me, contact Chie and have her call Yukiko. We're better safe than sorry and we don't want to run into that world without being sure that we have to."

"Yeah… Good idea." Yosuke sighed, "I don't have Yukiko's number so… Anyway, tomorrow is Sunday, so let's meet up at Junes tomorrow, okay? I'll see you th—"

"W-wait! Yosuke!"

"Huh? What's up, partner?"

"Look, um… Whatever you're planning to bring to Junes tomorrow… Don't."

"Huh? I—whoa… Dude, can you like, read minds or something? I found some old swords in the closet and I thought that they—"

"Don't… trust me, don't bring them. The city has officers _everywhere_ right now. Do you really think it's a good idea to go dragging weapons around where people can see us? We'll be pulled in for sure. There's a place at the shopping district we can stop by if we really need anything—I saw it when I was out shopping a few nights ago—so…"

"Alright, alright… I don't bring them. Damn, dude… You always seem on top of everything. You sure you can't read minds?"

"…Lucky guess." Souji muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. _This is a part of the past I can safely say we're better off without._

"Wow, you're one lucky guy then. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Right, tomorrow. Sleep well."

There was a small 'click' and the line died. Souji dropped his phone to the floor before falling back on his mattress, sighing in relief. _Thank God. He didn't suspect anything and I won't be arrested tomorrow. _

Rolling over, the silver-eyed teen slipped under his covers, snuggling his head against the pillow. _Tomorrow we'll see Chie's Shadow… and the day after that; hopefully we'll make it to Yukiko's. We'll all need all the rest we can get if we want to get though this fast and solve the case. Besides…_ Souji chuckled, silently scolding himself for being so pathetic. _After Yukiko… we'll have to save Kanji, and in turn…_

"…I'll be able to see _her_ again."


	7. The Magician's Chariot

I know, I know... It's been FOREVER since I last updated, but I promise _everyone_ that I don't plan to abandon this story. As you all know, my SoujiNaoto stories take up over half of my currently uploaded stories (or close to it) and I just wanted to work on something else. Right now, if I'm on your Author Alert, I'm sure you're all aware that I'm working on a few Hetalia stories right now. I really would like to finish them before continuing this, and I realize it may take a while, but please bare with me. I feel as if I'll do a lot better on this story if I take a break from the Persona fandom for a bit.

For all the Hetalia fans out there, I'd be most grateful if you all went to go check on them. This chapter ended up being 13-pages long in size 10 calibiri text, so hopefully it'll keep you all entertained for a while.

Again, I'm really sorry for the long delay, and I hope you're all willing to wait just a little longer. And not to worry--I still thing Persona 4 is the best videogame ever created, and SoujiNaoto is still my OTP. That likely won't ever change~

But I sure love AmericaxEngland and PrussiaxAustria. Pfffft.

Big thanks to all my wonderful reviewers!

**OH GOD!!!! ERROR FIXED!!! I UPLOADED CHAPTER SEVEN INSTEAD OF SIX!**

**ALL BETTER  
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**Chapter Six:** _Majishien no Charioto ("The Magician's Chariot")_

Souji yawned quietly as he stretched and made his way down the stairs. After a long week of wearing the same uniform everyday (and of course washing it every night) he was more than pleased that he was able to wear casual clothing again. _It's been a while since I last wore this…_ He glanced at himself in the mirror of the first floor bathroom, a sad smile gracing his lips as he closed his eyes, remembering one of his older memories of Inaba.

**~End Flashback~**

_"Senpai! Good afternoon, shall we—oh…" Naoto trailed off as she stared at Souji, a light dusting of pink gracing her cheeks._

_"Hm? Is something wrong, Naoto?" Souji asked, brushing the back of his hand against Naoto's forehead, taking care to not knock her cap off. "Your face is red…"_

_"I, ah, no… It isn't a matter of my health. I, um… It is unusual that I see you outside of school on our days off like this. I'm accustomed to seeing you in your Yasogami uniform both in and out of school, seeing as even on Sunday and holidays it is the clothing we wear inside the TV. I… haven't ever gotten a good look at you in your casual clothing during the colder season."_

_The silverette chuckled at Naoto's longer than necessary explanation, stepping forward as the sleuth attempted to explain herself further. _

_"Naoto, are you trying to tell me I'm 'good looking'?" He asked, a grin spreading across his delicate features. _

_Naoto fell silent as she suddenly became very interested in her shoes, a soft 'eek' escaping her throat as Souji cupped her chin, forcing the young detective to look up. "Don't be embarrassed, Naoto… I'm flattered." _

_His eyes softened as his hand moved to cup the sleuth's cheek, fighting back the blush that threatened to cover his own face as he felt her press closer to his hand._

_"I believe Teddie would be more than proud to hear me claim that I 'scored myself a hot stud." She had said it so quietly, Souji had thought he was hearing things at first, but the quickly darkening blush on her cheeks told him he had heard correctly._

_His smile grew wider as he slipped his free arm around her waist, pulling the detective closer. "And I…" Leaning forward, he used the hand that was touching her cheek to remove the sleuth's hat. "…I found myself a beautiful young angel."_

_Before Naoto could open her mouth and protest Souji's 'feminine' comment, he closed the remaining distance between them and claimed her lips, silently thankful that it was early in the afternoon and the streets were empty. _

Souji chuckled as he left the bathroom, shaking his head slowly. _She was always quite jumpy about public displays of affection. It took almost two weeks before she could hold my hand in the street… and another before I could hug her in public. Heh… In its own way, her embarrassment was adorable._

**~End Flashback~**

As he entered the living room, he spotted Nanako sitting at table watching TV quietly. He sighed softly and walked over, kneeling down and taking a seat across from the brunette female, briefly looking toward the screen as he tried to figure out what she was watching. _Oh… This is that show that the boy from Child Care liked. It was called…_

"Oh, good morning." Nanako said, turning her head as she finally noticed the silverette's presence. "Did you sleep alright…?"

"Yeah, just fine." Souji smiled softly. "How did you sleep, Nanako?"

"I slept alright…" The young girl turned her attention back to the TV before glancing back at Souji, tilting her head to the side. "…Are you going somewhere?"

The silverette hesitated before nodding slowly. _I know I've done it before… but I really don't like leaving Nanako home alone like this. It isn't fair to her…_

As if sensing Souji's hesitation, Nanako spoke up again. "It's alright if you want to leave… I'll be fine by myself."

"I know… you're a big girl." The silver-eyed teen smiled softly and stood up, reaching over the table to ruffle Nanako's hair affectionately. "I'll see you this evening, okay? I might be out late, but I'll be back before you're in bed."

"…Um," Nanako began as Souji turned toward the door, causing the platinum teen to pause. "Um… W-when you get home… Dad said he wouldn't be back until really late tonight, so… um…"

"Hm? What is it, Nanako? You can ask me anything…"

"…Would you read me a story before bed?"

The teen blinked, obviously not expecting the question at all. Nanako looked up at him, her gaze reaching his chin rather than his eyes, afraid of rejection.

"Heh," Souji chuckled softly, a gentle look in his silver eyes. "Of course, I'd be happy to."

"H-huh? Really!?"

Souji nodded. "I'd enjoy that… Just be sure to pick out a book before bedtime and I'll read as much as you want me to."

Nanako beamed at him, her eyes sparkling in delight. "Yay! I'll pick a _really_ good one! Have a good day!"

"You too, Nanako…"

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"Yo! Souji!"

Souji looked up, his lips wrapped around the thin straw of the soda he'd ordered several minutes ago. Yosuke ran toward him, waving an arm in the air as he balanced a drink holder with two sodas in the other. The brunette teen stopped near the table and frowned, looking around the Junes food court as if expecting someone to suddenly appear.

"Huh? Is Chie not here yet...? She said she'd come as soon as she could this morning… I even bought her a soda."

"She might be running a little late." Souji shrugged, pushing a chair out with his foot which Yosuke took gratefully. "It is Sunday, maybe she slept in." _She's probably running here from Yukiko's house right now…_

"I dunno," the brunette sighed. "Chie has always been the 'early to rise' type. I mean, she gets up every morning and trains for an hour before doing _anything."_

The silverette blinked, raising an eyebrow slowly in question. "And you know this… how, exactly? You're not _spying_ on her, are you?"

"U-uh, well… I…"

_This is new…_ Souji thought, smirking. "I never pegged you as the 'creeper' type, Yosuke… Don't worry, I won't tell Chie."

"Wh-what!? N-no! That's not it!!!" Yosuke shook his head frantically, waving his hands in front of his face. "I wasn't _spying_ on her! I-it was about a week after I'd moved here and I knew she lived close by so I rode by her house to ask if she wanted to walk to school together and…"

"You got up, left an hour earlier than most students would even wake up… To see if she wanted to walk to school? Sounds mighty suspicious…"

"That's not it either!!!" Yosuke groaned and hid his face in his hands, a dark blush spreading up to his ears. "L-look… I… I _really_ liked her, even back then, okay!?"

"Love at first sight?"

"…Something like that…" Yosuke muttered, the blush darkening. "A-anyway… I knew that when I showed up at her door I was gonna chicken out and try to bail, so I went over there early so I'd have time to fight myself over it and… hopefully be able to ask her."

"But you ended up creeping on her."

"D-do you really have to word it like that!? I only watched like, three times… After that I just…"

"Gave up?"

"…Pretty much. It's like my Shadow said… She'd never go for a guy like me."

"I wouldn't be so sure, Yosuke… I think—"

"There you two are!!!"

The pair turned, blinking in surprise as Chie ran toward them, her face faintly flushed from running and a panicked look in her eyes.

"I was looking all over Junes for you two!"

"…I said come to the food court, didn't I?" Yosuke muttered, looking confused. "We always meet up here…"

"Ugh… Whatever! Just listen to me… This morning I called Yukiko and she didn't answer so I went to her house to see if she was alright and…"

"She's missing." Souji finished, setting his drink down. "…It seems that, she really has been taken to that world."

"I… h-how did you know?" Chie asked in awe. "I didn't tell anyone that I was…"

_Crap,_ Souji winced, mentally smacking himself for the slip. He stood up, quickly piecing together an excuse in his mind before speaking slowly, almost casually.

"Well, this morning my Uncle left earlier than normal… Nanako—my cousin—said that something came up and he was called in. So… I assumed that either Yukiko really had been kidnapped or there was another murder. When I left, the news was talking about the weather. Therefore, I knew it had to be… anyway, we should to and check with Teddie."

"Right," Yosuke nodded. "Chie, we'll go and talk to Teddie, so you—"

"I'm going too!" The brunette female cut Yosuke off.

"Wh-what!? But…"

"I'm going and that's final! I have to save Yukiko! How would you feel if your best friend had been kidnapped by a serial killer!?"

"Wha…? Are you gonna be alright in there? I mean,_ we_ don't even have any weapons right now to protect ourselves. It'll be dangerous enough with just us going in, so…"

"Weapons?" Chie repeated, sounding surprise. "If it's weapons you want… I know just the place! Follow me!"

Without waiting for a response, the martial artist turned and sprinted down the road, leaving Souji and Yosuke left with the only option of following her.

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_Daidara's… just as I thought._ Souji chuckled as Chie lead Yosuke and himself into the antique looking weapons shop. Yosuke's face had gone slightly pale as he looked around, obviously not fond of the idea that Chie knew about a place such as this. _Heh, I guess I can't blame him. A martial artist knowing about a shop like this would be a red-flag to almost anyone._

"Here we are!" Chie declared proudly, looking around the shop. "I heard some guys at school talking about this place before. I figured it was just an antique metalworks shop, but they sell stuff like katanas and what not so…"

"Doesn't that seem _weird _to you!?" Yosuke asked, aghast. "Man, you must have watched one too many kung-fu movies, heard about this place and…"

"Oh shut up!" Chie growled. "In the end it works out for us, doesn't it?"

Turning away from the brunette, Chie walked toward a large platted armor sitting on a wooden mannequin, carefully looking the suit up and down. Her head tilted to the side in question as she ran a slender finger along the tough metal scales, muttering softly under her breath. "This one looks good but… I bet its way too heavy to move around in easily…"

"Chie…" Yosuke muttered, sounding uneasy. "I still think it's too dangerous, I know how you feel and all, but—"

"No you don't!" The martial artist suddenly cried, turning around to glower at the brunette. "You don't know _shit_ about how I feel! Yukiko might _die_ from this, for crying out loud! I don't care _what_ you say! I'm going and that's—"

"And what about _you!?"_ Yosuke snapped, making both Chie and Souji jump in surprise, neither expecting the sudden raise in voice from the brunette. He stepped forward, advancing toward the martial artist who looked torn between shock and fear. "What if _you_ end up being the one who gets killed!? What are we supposed to tell Yukiko-san when we rescue her if you're dead!? Damn it, Chie! Just stop to think for a minute! The only reason _we_ made it was because of the Persona we told you about! You can barely last in that world for an hour and you expect to be able to save someone that we don't even know where she is!? Stop acting like you're the only one who's worried! We want to save Yukiko-san as much as you do!"

"Y-Yosuke…" Chie muttered, staring at the headphone-clad teen as if seeing him in a new light. "I-I…"

Pale-brown eyes shifted downward as Chie absently kicked at a chunk of dirt on the floor. The brunette female winced, her fingers gripping the edges of her sport-coat tightly as she tried to fight back the faint stinging sensation in her eyes. Sensing the martial artist's pain, Souji stepped forward, grasping Yosuke's shoulder.

"Calm down… Shouting isn't going to help anything, Yosuke…" the silverette muttered softly. "She can come with us… Nothing is going to happen to her because we won't _let_ anything happen to her. Are we clear?"

"But-!"

"Would you rather she follow us in afterward and get lost without our knowing until it was too late?"

Yosuke froze, his eyes wide as he glanced toward Chie who was still staring dully at the ground. Sighing, the headphone-clad teen stepped forward, hesitantly placing his hand on the female's shoulder.

"I… Chie, I'm sorry I yelled at you. I was out of line and…"

"Forget it," Chie muttered. "Just forget it, okay? My reflexes are second to none and you know that. I'll be fine!"

"Chie, we're not kidding around, alright? Reflexes or not, it's _dangerous_ in there, and if you're not going to listen to our warnings… We're leaving you behind and I'll make sure the Junes security holds you in storage until we get back."

"Wha-!? You wouldn't!"

The brunette frowned. "I would… Don't test me. If you insist on coming, just make sure you have _something_ to protect yourself and make sure you stay behind us, alright…?"

"…Alright." Chie sighed, turning her attention back to the various weapons and armor. "I'll be careful…"

As Chie approached the counter to pay, Yosuke glanced around the shop, looking faintly frustrated. "Man, I don't know what to get at all… You're our main man in battle, so would you mind picking something out for me too? Just choose whatever makes it easier for you."

"…No problem," Souji smiled. "Leave it to me."

"You know…" Yosuke muttered as Chie walked over to them, slipping on a pair of tough looking shoes. "If we walk around town carrying this stuff, we really are going to get picked up… We can't exactly walk into Junes with a sack of gear and blend in either."

"Why not hide them under our uniforms?" The brunette female suggested. "People wouldn't think to inspect under our clothes."

"Oh…?" Yosuke looked thoughtful. "Yeah, that could work… Why not? We'll split up and get ready then. Junes'll be pretty crowded until the afternoon sale ends, so…"

"We'll meet up at the food court again." Chie declared with a small smile. "Nothing suspicious about that."

"Sounds like a plan," Yosuke glanced at Souji. "Is that alright with you?"

"I have no problem with it… I'll see you two soon then."

"Yeah, later." Waving, Yosuke left the shop with Chie, leaving Souji alone with Daidara.

"Alright then…" he approached the counter, already knowing what he needed to get. "I'd like…"

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Shifting the strap of the tube-like container Daidara gave him to hold his katana, Souji left the shop, sighing softly. _I guess I'd better run home and grab my uniform. I've got a lot of time to kill…_ He turned and started down the road, jumping as a loud **_crack_** filled the air.

"Wh-what the hell…?" The silverette turned, staring wide-eyed at the glowing blue door that had appeared to his right. He groaned softly and glanced around, sighing softly. Just as it had been the previous year, no one else seemed to be able to see the entrance to the Velvet Room.

_"So it finally begins…" _An amused voice chuckled in his head. _"Now, if you'll give me a moment of your time…"_

As he approached the door, Souji couldn't help but wish that _someone_ else could see what he could. Entering it didn't really matter much to him but—if only for the reassurance that he was, in fact, sane—he would have truly appreciated someone else knowing of the room's existence. He grabbed the handle of the Velvet Room's door and a white flash obscured his vision. His body felt lighter than a feather and the next time he opened his eyes, he was staring once more into the painfully familiar dark room.

"We've been expecting you." Igor grinned, leaning forward to look at Souji properly in the dull light. "The catastrophe that is headed your way… it has already taken human lives in its path to approach you."

"So I've noticed…" Souji muttered bitterly. "Why couldn't you have given me my memories earlier!? I could have saved Saki Konishi and maybe even the announcer! Why did you wait until it was too late?"

"I was ordered to provide you with your memories once you had re-established your contract. I do not know exactly why this was insisted upon, but I can hazard a guess." Igor stared unblinkingly at Souji with his wide eyes, almost as though his gaze could pierce into his soul. "I believe that some events were meant to remain unaltered. If this was not so with certain key occurrences, even worse catastrophe could result."

"You mean… like paradoxes? Or a change in the space-time continuum?" Souji asked. _A rip in the fabric of space maybe…? …Or I maybe I should just stop reading all those sci-fi books._

"Among other things," answered Igor. "But it would be best not to question or second-guess the gift you have been given. Some might consider it an insult, if you take my meaning."

Souji nodded silently. He wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to make any higher powers angry with him at this point. _If Igor could do anything he wished to my mind… I don't want to being thinking about what someone with a stronger power than his could do to me._

"In any case," continued Igor, "you do remember what I told you last time about your Personas, and your abilities as a Wild Card?"

"Yes," said Souji, thankful that he didn't need to hear the explanation a second time.

"Very good. Margaret and I shall provide you once again with our services. In fact, you might find her Compendium to be quite full, which should give you some peace of mind."

"Many of your Personas from before have been recorded," explained Margaret with a soft smile, "so you should be able to call upon them as long as you have a sufficient offering."

"Thanks," said Souji gratefully. "I'll do my best not to fail again this time... for everyone's sake."

Igor couldn't help but chuckle. "I look forward to seeing how you change the path that has been set before you. Until we meet again... farewell."

Souji's vision was filled with a blinding white light once more and he soon found himself standing in the center of the road at the shopping district. He sighed and shook his head, silently cursing the bizarre old man. _I already know all that he has to say… He just keeps calling me into the room to mock me… but I guess, in the end, that's what's best. After all… he's only playing his part and working as my personal reminder not to get off track._

"Now… I guess I could head to Junes early then… I never did get to finish my soda and I could use some lunch."

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"Man, we really stick out, huh?" Yosuke muttered as he poked at the takoyaki plate in front of him. "I guess it really doesn't help that we're wearing our uniforms on a Sunday. The sale ends soon though, so that should get rid of some of the people wandering around here."

"That'll make it easier for us going in and out." Souji noted as he finished the last of the small salad he'd picked up in the grocery department. "Better safe than sorry in the end, I suppose."

"Still… I bet it would have attracted less attention than hiding them under out normal clothes."

"There's no point in going back to change into casual-wear now." Souji shrugged as he stood up, grabbing his empty bowl. "That would _really_ attract attention. Besides, in the city, a lot of girls wear their uniforms on Sunday."

"…Do they?" Chie asked curiously. "Why is that…?"

Souji opened his mouth, unsure of how to explain before Yosuke cut in. "They think they look cute. A lot of guys in the city love to see a girl in uniform, so they'll wear spare ones or designer uniforms they bought in some shop. I guess it's because they just want some attention or something… I never really understood the reasoning behind it myself."

"…Huh. The city sure is a bizarre place."

Souji snorted. As much as he enjoyed the city, he couldn't deny Chie's claim.

"Anyway…" Yosuke sighed, "We'd better get going. Chie, you know, it's not too late to…"

"I'm going!" Chie snapped, "You're not going to leave me here!"

Groaning, the brunette shook his head in defeat, it wasn't worth arguing over. "Fine… Just don't push yourself, got it!?"

"I won't, sheesh… Let's go already."

As he followed the other two to the electronics department, he couldn't help but smile. They approached their chosen TV of entrance and Souji waited as Yosuke took Chie's hand and slipped inside with her, leaving Souji to enter behind them. _Those two…_ he mused. _…They're just like a newlywed couple. I wonder if Chie's Shadow will be any different than it was before…_

The silverette paused as he reached toward the TV, chewing absently at his bottom lip. "If I stop her from running ahead… She won't have the chance to meet her Shadow and, in turn, she won't get her Persona. She's always been a strong asset in battle and we can't afford to risk losing her as a fighter."

_I'm sorry, Yosuke…_ Souji thought as he slipped through the screen, feeling the odd sensation in his stomach of being dropped from an extreme height. _I know you're going to worry about her… but we're going to need all the help we can get to catch the culprit. So… you'll have to worry about her one more time, but nothing will happen, I promise._

Ground suddenly appeared below his feet and Souji stumbled forward, nearly crashing into Yosuke, who leapt aside and grabbed Souji by the shoulders before the silverette could hit the ground.

"…Rough landing?" The brunette grinned, sounding amused. "Chie did the same thing."

"I did not!" The female protested, glaring at Yosuke. "You're the one who fell on your stupid wallet!"

"A-anyway…" The headphone-teen cut Chie off, blushing slightly. "Let's go find Teddie. I'm sure he's around here somewhere. He's never far from the entrance."

"I think…" Souji muttered, pulling his glasses from the pocket in his uniform and putting them on. "That's him over there. Yosuke, in the far corner… That black shape, isn't that…?"

Pulling out his own glasses, Yosuke slipped them onto the bridge of his nose and nodded, starting toward the shadow in the fog. "Yeah, that's Ted alright, let's go. Chie… remember, stay close."

"Yeah yeah… I know, sheesh. Calm down already…"

As they approached Teddie from behind, Chie gasped softly, staring at the strange creature in awe. "Oh, wow… It really is that same bear from the other day, huh?"

"Did you expect someone else?" Souji asked, walking up to Teddie beside Yosuke. "As far as we know, he's the only thing in this world that won't attack us."

"No kidding…"

"What're you doing…?" Yosuke asked as he stepped closer to Teddie, frowning as the bear swayed back and forth, holding his head.

"Can't you tell…? I'm thinking about stuff." Teddie muttered, not stopping his odd movements.

"…Thinking?" Yosuke repeated, sounding confused. "What on earth are you thinking about?"

"…I think it's about what you said the last time we were here. Remember? You asked him what he was and where he came from… He said he couldn't remember anything and…"

Teddie nodded, confirming Souji's words. "I've been deli-bear-ating it for a long time now. Hey… That wasn't a bad joke. Heehee…" The bear laughed to himself, earning a small groan from Yosuke."

"So…" The brunette spoke up, hoping to avoid any more of the bear's humor. "Did you figure anything out? I really don't think you should think about it too much. I mean, I've seen the inside of your skull and it's empty, dude. Don't hurt yourself over this."

"I'm not empty!" Teddie turned around, running toward Yosuke, stopping just short of the brunette. "How rude!!! …But… You're right though. I try and try… but nothing ever comes out of my head."

"Are you two finished!?" Chie snapped. "Now isn't the time to be playing around! Hey, you, bear… Someone came in here yesterday, right?"

Teddie turned, his large black eyes widening in shock. "Huh? You knew? Wow! There's a girl with a better nose than me!? What's your name, Miss?"

"…Miss?" Chie repeated, sounding taken-aback. "Uh… It's Chie. Nevermind that though, it isn't important right now. About that someone..."

"I don't know that much about it…" Teddie shrugged. "I think it happened a little after you guys left. It was empty in here for a while… but then it felt like someone appeared."

"Is it Yukiko-san!?" Yosuke asked, stepping forward. "Did you see her?"

"I don't know who it was…" Teddie frowned. "I haven't gone to look yet. The presence is over that way, though. I bet that's where they are."

"Over there, huh…?" Chie turned, staring off into the fogged distance. "Is everyone ready then?"

"Y-yeah, but we should—hey! CHIE! I said stay close to us! Don't run off by yourself! You—damn! Come on, let's go."

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When the three males finally caught up with Chie, their concern for the brunette female was immediately diverted as they gazed up at the large stone building before them. Only Souji seemed to be able to hold his mouth closed as his silver eyes carefully moved over the familiar structure he'd been in many times before. _Yukiko is at the top… If I remember correctly, it was about eight floors up._

"What… on earth is this?" Chie muttered, unable to look away from the building. "Is this… a castle? You guys think it was the same place we saw on the TV last night?"

"It seems like it…" Souji muttered, watching Chie carefully from the corner of his eye. _As long as we move quickly… We'll be able to find Chie before anything bad happens. Her Shadow appeared after we found her last time, but… I don't want to take any risks._

"You're positive that no one's behind that bizarre midnight program…?" Yosuke asked turning to Teddie. "There's no cameras or… anything?"

"Program…?" Teddie repeated, sounding confused. "I dunno… I've never heard of a 'program' or this 'camera' thing you keep talking about. It's just been Teddie here for a long time. Maybe through that 'channel' you keep mentioning, people in your world can see the things in this world."

"So then… we're really looking into this world when we watch the Midnight Channel?" Chie asked, tilting her head. "Is that why we're able to see whoever's been thrown inside?"

"It would make sense, wouldn't it?" Souji asked. "It's just like Yosuke said earlier, if you're _in_ the TV, you can be seen _on_ the TV."

"But… the first time we saw Yukiko on the channel was _before _she was kidnapped. Doesn't that seem… off?"

"Well… Remember, the picture wasn't that clear before it happened, and she never spoke either. It wasn't until she was kidnapped that anything _really_ happened."

"Well, yeah, but…" Chie shook her head, frowning at Souji. "That stuff that she was saying? You know, 'Score myself a hot stud'? That's not like Yukiko at all."

"…'Score'? 'Stud'?" Teddie repeated, looking at Chie curiously.

"Yeah," Yosuke shook his head. "Yukiko-san would never say stuff like that… I wonder…" The brunette glanced at Souji, a serious look crossing his features. "Do you think that… it was kinda like what happened to me last time?"

The silverette nodded slowly, looking toward the castle again. "That… would make a lot of sense. I imagine that the Yukiko we saw on the TV would be inside, along with the real Yukiko as well then."

"So then… there's two Yukiko's right now? Ugh… I don't get this at all." Chie groaned. "Anyway… do you feel Yukiko's presence inside that castle, Teddie?"

"I think so… I don't know _who_ it is, but _someone_ is in there." Teddie nodded before turning to Chie. "So then… what's this 'scoring with a hot stud' thing, huh?"

"Yukiko's here then…" Chie sighed softly in relief, a look of determination falling across her features. "I'm going on ahead."

Before anyone could protest, the martial artist sipped past Souji and Youske, darting toward the castle and slipping inside.

"W-what!? Hey! Don't go alone! Chie! Wait! I—argh! What is she thinking?"

"…She's thinking she wants to save her friend. I was lucky with you… The liquor store only had one room but…"

"Urk…" Teddie whimpered, causing Souji and Yosuke to turn around.

"…What's up?" The brunette asked, frowning. "You okay?"

"T-there's a lot of Shadows in that castle…" Teddie groaned. "It's dangerous for her to be by herself. She doesn't have the same power as you two… She's in a lot of trouble!"

"W-what!?" Yosuke shouted, turning toward the castle. "Why didn't you tell us about the shadows before!? Stupid bear!!! Come on, partner. We have to follow her!"

"Yosuke, calm down, we—H-hey!" Souji jumped, rushing after Yosuke as the brunette ran forward. "Yosuke, slow down! You're doing the same thing she did! We can't afford to get split up right now!" _For the love of… Those two are going to be the end of me at this point. _

Groaning, the silverette darted after the other teen, praying that Yosuke had the sense to wait for him just inside the door. Much to his relief, Yosuke was waiting for him just a few feet ahead of the entrance and the two regrouped quickly. Souji remembered the Shadows of the area quite clearly, and managed to direct his and Yosuke's attacks to greatest effect.

They reached the third floor without much difficulty, but because of Souji's oddly perfect orders and knowledge of the area (as they ran into no dead-ends) the silverette was forced to beat back a barrage of questions from both the brunette and the bear before the three of them reached Chie.

"You really are amazing, Sensei!" Teddie said happily. "It's almost like you know exactly what's going on! You could learn a thing or two from him, Yosuke!"

"S-shut up!" Growling, the brunette turned to face the large oak double-doors in front of them, concern covering his face. "Then… Chie is just past through these doors, right?"

Teddie nodded. "Yeah! Definitely I can sense her! My nose never lies!"

Nodding, Yosuke stepped forward and grabbed the golden handle of the door, glancing back at Souji. "You ready, partner?"

"Ready… Open the doors."

Not waiting for further instruction, Yosuke threw the wooden doors open with surprising strength and ran inside with Souji and Teddie following closely at his heels. In front of them, Chie stood stock still, her gaze raised toward the ceiling, completely oblivious to the three males who had just entered the room.

"C-Chie! Are you alright!?" The brunette cried in concern, frowning when he didn't receive an answer. "…Chie?" Yosuke frowned, stepping around Souji as he made his way closer to the martial artist, jumping as a voice filled the room.

_"She said that red looks good on me…"_

Yosuke jumped, turning as he scanned the room they were standing in. The room was wide open, but empty. Crimson drapes lined the floor to ceiling windows and a large red carpet sat in the center of the floor atop the checkered tile. A set of stone steps could be seen at the far end of the room leading up to another set of double doors, but there was no sign of Yukiko, or where the voice was coming from.

"Yukiko-san!?" The brunette shouted, sounding confused. "H-hey! Yukiko-san? Are you here!?"

The voice continued speaking, oblivious to Yosuke's call.

_"I hated my name… Yukiko… 'Snow'… Snow is cold and it melts quickly. It's transient… it's worthless. Still, it's perfect for me… apart from inheriting my family's inn… **I'm** worthless. But still… Chie said that red looks good on me." _

"What the…?"

"Yukiko's inner thoughts…" Souji muttered, answering Yosuke's unasked question. "These are Yukiko's thoughts… Just like with Saki Konoshi."

"This castle is probably here because of this Yukiko person." Teddie cut in, nodding his head quickly. "Just like with that other girl. This world changed because of her being here."

"Yukiko…" Chie muttered, finally speaking for the first time. Her tone was soft, trembling faintly.

_"Chie was the only one who gave my life meaning… She's bright and strong… She can do anything. She's amazing… and has everything that I don't. Compared to Chie, I'm… I'm…"_ Yukiko's voice trailed off, wavering slightly, unable to finish the thought. _"Chie protects me… She looks after my worthless life. She does… so much for me, and I… don't deserve any of her kindness… But Chie is such a kind person, and…"_

"Y-Yukiko!" Chie whimpered softly. "Th-that… I… I…"

"Chie is _soooo_ kind, huh? Hahaha. What a _joke._"

The brunette female jumped violently, eyes wide as she looked around the room. "Wh-what?"

_And here she comes…_ Souji thought, tightening the grip on his katana as he took a step towards Yosuke, noticing how tense the other male had suddenly gotten. _Yosuke… don't do anything stupid. Stay still… don't run to her yet._

"O-oh man… Is that…?" The brunette's attention was drawn to the mirror image of Chie standing just feet in front of the original.

The replica had the same sadistic smirk as Yosuke's Shadow had had, its eyes glowing the same eerie yellow as it laughed, doubled over in with its own sadistic giggles. The Shadow gasped as it tried to regain its breath, golden eyes dancing with malice as she leaned in closer to Chie.

"Are we talking about _that_ Yukiko!? She says _I'm_ protecting _her!? _Oh man, that's rich… She says she's _worthless!_"The copy laughed, shaking its head. "That's how it _should_ be, right?"

"Wh-what?" Chie gasped softly, taking a half-step back. "What are you… saying? That's not… D-don't talk about Yukiko like that!"

"Why not…? It's what you really think, isn't it? Yukiko is _sooo _good looking… she's _sooo_ fair-skinned… She's feminine, beautiful, smart… And _she's_ the one _all_ the boys drool over! When Yukiko looked at _me_ with such jealousy… _Man_ did I get a charge outta that."

"Wh…what? N-no! Stop it! That's not…"

"What…?" The Shadow frowned, taking a step forward. "What? It's not true? That's what you're going to say, right? Why kid yourself? You _know_ it is. Yukiko looks at _you_ with jealousy, but it's _you_ who's jealous of _her!_ All the guys want her; _all_ the guys look at her. It makes you _so_ frustrated, doesn't it? Because, hey… Maybe if you were _half_ as pretty as she was… _Yosuke_ might take the time to turn around and look at you, huh?"

"H-huh?" Beside Souji, Yosuke jumped, not expecting his name to suddenly be thrown into the conversation. "M-me…? But…"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Souji couldn't help but smile faintly as he saw a light blush dust his friend's cheeks. He grabbed Yosuke's shoulder and shook his head slowly, signaling the brunette to be quiet. _Just watch… She needs this as much as you did. Just wait… She won't get hurt, I promise._

"Why do you keep denying it!?" Chie's Shadow snarled, once more becoming the center of attention in the room. "You'd do _anything_ to get Yosuke's attention, from teasing him to kicking him down to the ground. As long as he's _finally_ looking at you, you don't care, do you? You want just want _his_ attention, but he's too busy fawning over the _beautiful_ Yukiko to notice a plain girl like you!

"But Yukiko… Heh, she knows the score. She can't do _anything _if I'm not around… Isn't that right, _Chie?_ As long as her attention is _always_ focused on you, she won't see Yosuke and you can keep him for yourself, even if it's from a distance. After all... You're _better_ than her… Much, _much,_better! You're stronger right? _You _can do the things that _boys_ like… But no, the one _you_ want is too busy looking at the _feminine _and _pretty_ girls to notice a tom-boy like you… But even if you tried to be girly like Yukiko, it doesn't matter, right? You don't have the right _body_ to be like _her._"

"N-no!" Chie shook her head, stopping a foot against the ground. "I have never thought like that! J-just shut up!"

"C-Chie…" Yosuke winced, pain etched across his face as he tried to step forward, only to be held back by Souji once more. "S-stop! Let me go! Chie needs our help and… and…"

"…Just wait, Yosuke. If she doesn't get it all out now… That Shadow is going to come back the next time we come in here and we might not be so lucky the second time around." _…You don't always get a second chance. I still don't know how I got mine._

"We need to protect her!" The brunette protested, pulling himself from Souji's grip. "Shadow or not, I don't care! I'll protect her every time I come into this world if that's what it takes, but I can't stand to see her in pain like this!"

"Wh… Yosuke! Wa-!" Sighing, Souji ran forward as Yosuke ran toward Chie. _…I have to give him merits for loyalty, but then again… Loyalty has always been one of Yosuke's strongest points._

"S-stay back!" Chie whimpered, backing away from the others as the three approached her. "Stay away! _Go_ away! D-don't look at me… I… I…"

"Chie! Stop… You have to calm down." Yosuke said softly, taking another slow step forward. "You have to—"

"No! This isn't me! I…"

"What's the matter, Chie?" The Shadow spoke up again, its sadistic smirk growing as he walked up beside the martial artist. "Isn't this what you want? Yosuke is _looking_ at you! He's actually _worried_ about you! Ahahaha. As if… He probably couldn't care less that it was _you_ in trouble… He probably just wants the story to tell Yukiko, huh? If he saves her best friend… then Yukiko might finally notice him and turn away from you!"

"N-no! Yukiko wouldn't… Yosuke wouldn't… d-do…"

"They wouldn't what…? Turn away from you? How can you be so sure? Yosuke's a dork, but he's such a good person… He's strong and loyal… And he's good looking too! Not many girls notice it because they're too busy looking at the popular sporty boys and the 'brilliant' new transfer student—"

At this, Souji winced, a faint feeling of guilt tugging at his chest.

"—That they don't notice Yosuke as much as they should, huh? He isn't the smartest guy around, but you don't care at all. You fell for him and fell _hard_ the moment he walked into that classroom and said his name… But he didn't notice you. It was _Yukiko_ he tried asking out and _Yukiko_ that he was impressed with. If Yukiko finally notices him… then she won't need _you_ anymore and it'll be _you_ who's left alone, huh?"

"Stop it!!!" Chie cried, her voice reaching a near hysterical pitch. "Stop! Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"Hehehe… You can scream and yell all you want… but you _know_ that in truth… It's _you_ who can't do anything alone." The Shadow's voice grew timid and broken, sniffling as it spoke in a mocking pathetic voice. "I can't win as a girl, let alone a person… It's so sad… No wonder Yosuke—or any guy—would never look at a girl like me… They couldn't _ever_ want someone this _pathetic!_

"Heh… But Yukiko…" The Shadow tilted its head to the side, the fake look of sorrow turning back into the sadistic smirk. "_She_ depends on me… That's why she's my friend. I'll never loosen my grip on her… She's too important to me. She's the only reason Yosuke bothers with me… because he wants to get close to her. As long as I have Yukiko… I'll never be alone and… Yosuke won't forget me."

"No…" Chie whimpered again, shaking her head slowly. "Th-that isn't how I think of her! Y-Yukiko isn't a tool! I don't… I don't…"

"Hehehe… So…?" The replica Chie chuckled. "You're going to turn your back? You're going to deny my truth again? You're gonna run away? Give up…? That's perfect… because in the end… I'll be the one left standing. You won't mind, right? After all… I'm still you!"

"I said shut up!" The martial artist screamed. "You're not…"

"Chie! W-wait! Do—" The rest of Yosuke's words were muffled as Souji placed a hand over the brunette's mouth.

"Don't make her hold it in any longer, Yosuke…" The silverette muttered, watching Chie sadly. _How did all this happen so quickly? I've barely done anything different than the last time. Is it possible… they really did like other all this time…? But… When I appeared I destroyed that? 'Kindred spirits…' Could what Yukiko said be the reason why I didn't mess that up this time?_

"You're not me!" Chie shouted, jerking the silverette back to the real world. "You're not me at all!"

The same black aura that had surrounded Yosuke's Shadow slowly began to form around the Chie look-a-like. It doubled over, lost in its own sadistic laughter once more as a sudden, sharp, burst of energy shot forward, knocking the real Chie to the ground with a grunt.

"No! Chie!" Yosuke shouted, running forward as Souji finally released him. "Chie!"

"Oh no…" Teddie whimpered beside Souji, stepping behind the silverette. "You guys have to protect Chie-chan…! This is just like with Yosuke. You two will have to use your power to defeat that thing."

Nodding silently, Souji stepped up beside Yosuke who had taken a defense stance in front of Chie, who looked bewildered at the brunette's action.

"Y-Yosuke…?" The marital artist muttered, her face getting paler by the second. "I…I…"

Glancing over his shoulder, Yosuke smiled softly, a gentle look in his hazel eyes. "…Don't worry, I'll protect you… It… it's gonna be just fine."

"Yosuke…" Chie muttered as her eyes fluttered shut, the rest of her sentence falling silent. She slipped forward, her body going limp as she leaned against the back of the brunette's legs.

"C-Chie!? H-hey! Wake—"

"Yosuke…" Souji began, sounding uneasy. "I know you're worried about her, but we _really_ have bigger problems right now…"

"H-huh? What probl—holy…" Yosuke gaped at the large creature in front of them. Where Chie's Shadow had once stood there was now—what looked like—a bizarre warrior with long raven hair clad in yellow armor sitting atop a pile of sickly pale students. "What the hell is…?"

"That's the Shadow's true form…" Souji explained. "Something similar happened when you passed out back in the shopping district. I don't really know how to explain it, but that thing _really_ isn't Chie right now and if we don't do something it's gonna—look out!"

A bolt of lightning shot forward toward Yosuke, who's eyes widened in fear as he tried to step back, remembering that Chie was behind him.

"D-damn it… I can't-!" He crouched down, trying to cover Chie as much as he could, shutting his eyes as he waited to the impact of lightning that never came. "H-huh?"

"Leave the lightning to me, Yosuke…" Souji smiled, watching as Izanagi faded from view after neutralizing the onslaught with an attack of his own. "If that attack hits you, it'll hurt a lot more than a normal one. Focus on using your wind magic… If I'm right—" _And something tells me this is one thing that hasn't changed…_ "—your magic, wind, is going to be that things weakness."

"H-how to you figure that…?"

The silverette chuckled and started simply. "…Because _you_ are _her_ weakness."

Yosuke blushed but nodded, not trusting his voice to protest as he raised himself back up to his feet. "You're playing decoy then?"

Souji nodded. "Just keep using whatever wind attacks you can. I'll keep it away from you."

"Right… Good luck, partner!"

The battle went by quicker then Souji expected, his carefully executed plan working beautifully. He kept in close range to the Shadow, who wasn't willing to divert its attention away from Souji for more than a few seconds. Each time it looked toward Yosuke, the silverette would shout a warning before slashing at the Shadow with his sword, successfully focusing its attention back to him, leaving an opening for Yosuke to attack. The pattern had to be repeated several times, but it ended with their victory as the Shadow collapsed to its knees after a final burst of cutting wind from Yosuke, who was starting to look fatigued himself.

"Finally…" Yosuke muttered, wiping his forehead as the larger Shadow was enveloped in black smoke before turning back into the smaller, Chie-like form.

The Shadow slowly pulled itself to its feet, staring at the group in front of it silently. It blinked, slowly shifting its golden gaze from Souji to Yosuke, lingering on the brunette for a few moments before finally looking down at the real Chie, who was slowly pulling herself to her feet with the assistance of Teddie.

"Wh-what's the matter?" She asked, glaring weakly at the Shadow. "Got nothing to say anymore!? Not so to—"

"Chie…" Yosuke muttered, clasping the female's elbow. "Stop… It's alright. You don't have to fight it anymore."

"B-but…"

"We understand, Chie…" Souji muttered, offering the martial artist a small smile. "You're not the only one who hides their darker thoughts. You're human… Can you really blame yourself for that?"

"You're still you," Yosuke cut in gently. "Nothing can change that… No matter what was said just now… You're still Chie. I… I went through the same thing as you did. So… I can understand how you must be feeling right now… but if you keep denying it… Then that thing is going to go berserk again… and I'm not sure Souji and I have the strength to fight it a second time right now."

Bowing her head, Chie turned slowly and walked toward her Shadow, raising her gaze only as she stopped several inches away from the other. "I… guess I really can't run away from this, huh? You… you're me. But… a side of me that I couldn't forgive, that I didn't want to listen to… So I… tried to ignore you and… shoved you away. But here you are… you still exist… and you're still a part of me… and I can't run from that."

The Shadow's blank look melted into a small smile as it nodded, stepping forward as it took Chie's hand, shaking it once before looking over the brunette's shoulder toward Yosuke. The smile grew faintly and its golden eyes sparkled, earning a blush from the brunette male. It giggled silently and stepped back, tilting its head to the side as it disappeared in a flash of blue light.

A woman dressed in what appeared to be yellow spandex with a white and black flower petal-like armored skirt with long white boots and a helmet appeared in front of Chie. In its gloved hands was a doubled ended spear with orange-hued blades. It stared down at Chie, nodding once as its long raven hair billowed around its slender shoulders before disappearing in a second flash of blue light, leaving a card floating in its place that disappeared as Chie clasped it in her hand.

"Are you alright…?" Souji asked as he approached Chie's right, glancing toward Yosuke as the brunette approached her left.

"I… y-yeah, I'm fine." She gave the silverette a reassuring smile before glancing toward Yosuke, quickly looking down as a crimson blue spread across her face. "I-I mean… it's true that part of me feels all that b-but… I really wasn't lying about being friends with Yukiko. I…"

"Haha, like we didn't know that already." Yosuke grinned, reaching for Chie's arm. "We—H-hey! Chie!"

His widened in panic as Chie's legs gave out beneath her, sending the martial artist to her knees with a soft whimper of pain.

"I'm… okay. Just… I'm just a little tired."

"You sure as hell don't _look_ okay…" Sighing, the brunette knelt down, peering at Chie's pale face carefully. "You know… I bet that thing we saw just a few seconds ago is just like ours. You probably have the same power as us now."

"I'm willing to bet you're right, but…" Souji frowned. "We don't need to test that now. Let's head back, okay?"

Yosuke nodded. "Yeah… It's dangerous around here and Chie's in no condition to keep going."

"H-hey!" Chie growled in protest. "I never said I needed a break! I can keep going!"

"Don't overdo it!" Teddie advised as he ran around Souji to face Chie, offering the girl a sympathetic look. "This world can be really hard on humans."

"Look… We know you _can_ do this, but we have to save Yukiko-san, right?" Yosuke said, grasping Chie's elbow, "But right now you can barely stand up on your own… and we'll need all the help we can get to save her. That's why we need to head back for now."

"But… Yukiko is still in here and I have to tell her something! I…"

"Well, you need to get your strength back!" Teddie said, nodding to himself. "If you don't… You're not gonna be able to tell her anything."

"Teddie's right…" Yosuke sighed. "If you collapse, we won't be able to save Yukiko-san and then we could end up losing you both."

"Yuki-chan will be safe in here for a while, anyway." Teddie said brightly. "The Shadows don't attack normal people unless the fog lifts around here and the fog only lifts when it's foggy in your world."

"Exactly," The brunette cut in. "So as long as the weather is clear on our side, Yukoko-san won't be in danger. That gives us a while until we have to get her out. Right now, just focus on getting your own strength back up so we can come back. It was foggy in town on the days Saki-senpai and the announcer died, remember? So Yukiko-san will be alright.""So then they were killed by…" Chie began, sounding unsure.

"By their Shadows." Souji confirmed. "That's our best bet right now… But we should really be heading back."

"But Yukiko's in here all alone! She must be so scared and—"

"Then you tell me how much further we have to go!" Yosuke shouted, making Chie jump. "You tell me how much stronger the enemies will be further on and how many we'll run into! If we get wiped out, who's gonna save Yukiko-san then, huh!?"

"I…" Chie trailed off, sighing heavily. "…Alright."

Teddie stepped forward and bent down, letting Chie use his head for support as she pulled herself back to her feet. Once they were sure she was able to stand on her own, Souji and Yosuke turned, headed for the doors behind them.

"Hey… You guys?" Chie called softly, causing the other two to stop. "I-I'm sorry about before… when I can in by myself. I shouldn't have done that…"

"No, you shouldn't have." Yosuke said in a disapproving tone, earning surprised looks from everyone in the room. "But… we made it to you in time, so no worries. Just don't do it again, okay?"

"…Right." Chie nodded, looking relieved that Yosuke hadn't started shouting again. "I promise…"

"That's good…" Souji chuckled as he walked over to Chie, allowing the martial artist to wrap an arm around his shoulders for support. "…because I _definitely_ don't want to chase _his_ sorry ass back in here after you again. I was ready to knock him out and find you by myself."

"Wh-what!? I waited for you at the entrance! Don't make things up!"

"You only waited because you hadn't used your Persona before and you didn't want to get creamed in case you ran into Chie."

"Th-that's-! Oh, shut up!"

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The three teens shared a sigh of relief as they collapsed to the floor of Junes' electronics department. Yosuke groaned softly and muttered under his breath about 'magic being exhausting to use' as Souji pulled himself to his feet and Chie pocketed the pair of yellow glasses Teddie had given her before she left.

"I had wondered how you guys were able to see things so clearly… I didn't notice them in the fog."

"They work wonders." Souji nodded. "We're really grateful for…Chie? What's wrong?"

The brunette female was silent as she gazed sadly at the floor, her lips pressed together in a thin frown.

"That stuff my Shadow said… It wasn't all about Yukiko, and…" A dark blush spread across her cheeks as she glanced toward Yosuke, unable to look him in the eye and quickly becoming interested with a bug crawling across the floor.

Souji chuckled and knelt down, patting Chie's back in a comforting manner. "You know…" he began, glancing back at Yosuke with a grin.

"…What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Yosuke asked, sounding uneasy. "…Wait! D-dude! Don't get any funny ideas! You'd better not be-!"

"You're not the only one whose Shadow spouted out a truth they tried to hide about another."

The martial artist laughed dryly, dabbing at her tearing eyes with her sleeve. "S-shut up! Don't even _joke_ about that… N-next you'll be telling me _Yosuke's_ Shadow said the s-same thing about _me!"_

The tears were coming quicker and the brunette female was unable to stop them as Yosuke sputtered above her.

"Dude, I swear-!" Yosuke growled. "Don't. If you value your life, do _not_ tell her about—"

Souji's eyebrow quirked upward as Chie looked up at Yosuke's crimson face in anger, her eyes flashing. "Don't tell me what, Yosuke!?"

"N-nothing!" The brunette protested, the blush darkening as he tried to look at anything in the surrounding area _but_ Chie. "N-nothing at all… I-I… it… that…"

The female's eyes widened faintly, a light blush gracing her own cheeks as she looked up at Yosuke, not bothering to try and stop her silent tears. "…It did, didn't it?"

Yosuke gulped and looked down at his shoes, the laces suddenly seemingly fascinating to him.

"M-maybe…" he muttered, gulping a second time. "It… m-might… have… uh, m-mentioned you. Once… or twice."

"Too many times to count." Souji grinned, earning an embarrassed glare from Yosuke.

"Dude! You-!"

"I'll leave you two to talk, alright?" The silverette stood up and started away from the pair, his eyes dancing in amusment.

"W-what!? Where are you going! Don't leave me alone with her!" Yosuke protested, looking panicked. "Wh-what am I supposed to _do!?"_

"I think…" Souji said, pausing briefly as he smiled back at Yosuke. "…You already know. I'll see you two at school tomorrow. Get well soon, Chie."

Not waiting for either of them to start another protest, Souji quickly turned the corner and paused once he was sure he was no longer in sight, straining his ears as he waited for the other two to start speaking again. _Come on, Yosuke… Don't screw this up. This is your chance… Take it and don't turn back._

"H-hey… Yosuke?" Chie finally spoke up after several minutes of silence had passed between the two. "…You saw mine, and… I-I really… don't have anything left to hide, so I can't get mad at you for anything you might have tried to hide away."

"That's the problem…" Yosuke sighed as he sat down at the bottom of the TV shelf next to Chie, giving the floor a dull look. "You _will_ get mad."

"I-I won't! I…"

The brunette held up his hand, silencing Chie's protests as he sighed. "Just… wait a moment, okay? I need a few seconds to think."

The martial artist opened her mouth again, but seemed to think better as she shut it again, nodding silently. Several more minutes passed before Yosuke finally started speaking again.

"I've… for a really long time now… thought of you… a lot more fondly then I should have. I mean… it was probably around two weeks after I came to Inaba that I started to notice it and…" he sighed again, twitching slightly in his makeshift seat. "I… I would have tried to get closer to you but… I mean, you were always…"

The brunette groaned and hid his face in his hands, obviously not wanting to continue as he spoke through his hands. "Geez, this is annoying… It shouldn't be this hard. I—Look, I was **_jealous_** of Yukiko-san myself, alright?" He looked up, suddenly pulling his hands away from his hands as words came pouring from his mouth. "You two were _always_ together and I felt… insanely jealous. I was… intimidated, I guess. Yukiko-san always seemed to have your attention and… I felt… _lame—_like I wasn't good enough."

Chie's face was frozen in shock as Yosuke stood up and began pacing, making wild hand gestures as he continue to drop the bombs of truth. "I thought you'd find a loser like me _boring_ and… after I smashed your DVD on accident; I sort of… lost all hope. All I ever seemed to do lately is piss you off and… I wanted to give up. I just wanted to walk away and part of me even wanted to forget that I'd ever met you but… another part—the larger part—didn't _want_ to give up. It was clinging to the dull hope that I might pull off some sort of miracle and you'd finally look at me, and I mean _really_ look at me."

The headphone-clad teen sighed in defeat as he collapsed back to the floor, crossing his legs as be began absently picking at the sole of his shoe. "I just… I wish I wasn't such a _loser,_ that's all. I wish I was someone you could be _proud_ of, for a chance and…" he hesitated before finishing softly. "…And not just the 'Junes boy' who could get you discounts with a wallet to dive into…"

"Y-Yosuke! I… I never thought of you as a wallet to…" Chie trailed off, sighing softly as she lowered her gaze. "…I guess, I really did act like that, huh? Is it… useless to say sorry now? I never meant to make you feel like… I don't know _why_ I did it I just… Maybe, or at least, it seemed like, when I pulled stunts like that—even if you were annoyed—your attention was always focused on _me—_if only for a few minutes. You'd be looking at me, and only me… So I… I…"

Gulping, the martial artist choked on the tears that had increased once more and began to rub furiously at her eyes, fighting back the heavy sobs that threatened to take her over. A hand pushed hers away and a white handkerchief was pressed against her palm as Yosuke ran a thumb under Chie's eyes as he crouched in front of her, a gentle smile on his lips.

"Hey… if you're not doing anything in a few nights… I-I mean… after we rescue Yukiko-san… Would you… like to maybe… go out for steak with me? And not just the Junes food court… Someplace… nice. Just the two of us."

Chie hiccupped lightly as she stared at Yosuke, the look of shock slowly melting into a brilliant smile as she dabbed her eyes with the white cloth he'd given her. "Oh… Yosuke." She sniffled, nodding quickly. "I-I… I'd really like that. But… on one condition, alright?"

The gentle smile fell of Yosuke's face as he winced, looking slightly hurt. "…Condition?"

"…Let me treat you, okay? No arguments." She placed a finger on Yosuke's lips before he could protest, shaking her head. "Just… humor me, okay? Let me pay this time."

"But-!" The brunette began, pulling away from Chie's hand. "I—"

"Hot chocolate."

"Huh?" Yosuke blinked and raised an eyebrow slowly, not expecting the bizarre interruption. "How… chocolate?"

"If you really feel like you have to pay for something… then hot chocolate after dinner." Blushing heavily as she looked away, she continued, almost hesitantly. "I-I mean, it's… still pretty cold out at night a-and… y-you… you'd walk me home, r-right?"

Yosuke blinked again, a bright grin slowly spreading across his face yet again as he laughed, nodding his head. "Y-yeah. Alright… Fine, it's a deal—but only as long as I can do… _this._"

"Huh? Do wh—eek!" Chie squeaked as she was suddenly pulled against Yosuke's warm chest, the blush that had cover her cheeks spreading across her entire face and as far as the tips of her ears. Unable to come up with an intelligent protest, she simply muttered, 'oh' before pressing her face into the crook of the brunette's neck, sighing softly in content.

"…You must be tired." Yosuke finally muttered, glancing toward the clock. "It's getting late, too. Come on… I'll take you home."

Too tired to say anything more, the brunette female nodded slowly in agreement, taking Yosuke's hand gratefully as he pulled her to her feet. She tugged on his hand lightly as he tried to pull her down the aisle, making him pause and look backward.

"Chie…? Are you alright, do you need me to carry—" He stopped, his jaw dropping in silent awe as a pair of lips brushed over his cheek briefly before they pulled away again. The brunette struggled to regain use of his voice, but ultimately failed in the end, settling for a brilliant grin as he intertwined his fingers with Chie's and turned away again, walking down the aisle with the martial artist at his heels.

Silver eyes watched as the pair left, a faint smile on Souji's face as they disappeared from view.

"Well done, Yosuke…" he chuckled, stepping out of his hiding spot behind a large DVD player display. "I'm happy for you… both of you." _Things really are… changing for the better this time, huh?_

The silverette chuckled to himself again, slipping out of the aisle and hurrying down the main walkway of the electronics department. "I'd better hurry home then… I wonder what Nanako-chan wants for dinner tonight." _I really am happy for them… but I can't help but feel a little jealous. Yosuke… Chie… You two are able to love each other happily… don't throw that away. The person I love… doesn't even remember I exist… so hold onto happiness, both of you… _

"Heh… Or you'll both have to pay the price by eating 'Mystery Food X' for a week." The silverette's stomach turned at the mere thought of the so-called food. "Ugh… I'll have to remember to bring snacks on that trip. I don't think _anyone_ could survive a second helping of… whatever that was."


	8. Song of the Captured Bird

Someone really needs to correct my Japanese... I have a twisted feeling that it is very, very wrong.

Um, in other news... I'm back! I did promise I would return to this story and I was quite serious. I know I've been ridiculously busy as of late, and college starts at the end of the month, so I'll end up being busy _again_, but hopefully I'll manage enough time to sit down and write once in a while. I uploaded a Persona 3 oneshot earlier today, and I seem to be on a roll because I'll be uploading _**The Long Road Home**_ soon, as well. Again, I'm really, really sorry that it took so long for me to upload. It's a bit foolish to take on two huge multi-chapter stories at the same time, but hopefully I'll somehow manage to do it.

Er... not much else to say, except special appearance at the end of the chapter. Merits to anyone who actually picks up on the (obvious) references in the last bit. ...I guess apologizing again will just get annoying, so I present to you the next chapter. Gosh, my writing style is so different here... it kinda annoys me. So if things really start to change within the next few chapters, I apologize. Typos to be expected, but I really hope there aren't many.

In other news~ My persona forum has been revamped and seems to be doing well! There is a link in my profile if anyone is interested. It seems to be turning into a really nice place. -shuffles off to write more-

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* * *

Chapter Seven: **_Haku wa Tori no Uta ("Song of the Captured Bird")_

"So… You two didn't do anything bad after I left, did you?" Souji asked casually, smiling as Yosuke's face turned an amusing shade of crimson.

"No, we didn't do anything 'bad'!" Yosuke glared, punching Souji's arm. "G-geez… You make me sound like a creeper or something."

"Well, you did spy on Chie outside her house for an entire wee—"

"Will you drop that already! And it wasn't spying! It was just… just… casual observing."

"…Uh-huh. They already have a word for that sort of thing." Souji smirked. "Wanna know what it is? …Spying."

"Dude… shut up."

Souji raised an eyebrow, amusement easily visible in his eyes. "Oh? You don't deny it then?"

"A-anyway…" Yosuke moved around Souji's desk and sat down at his own, resting his chin in his palm as he leaned forward and fixed the silverette with an annoyed look. "If you're finished… Are we going back to the TV world today or not?"

The silver eyed teen shook his head slowly with a shrug. "I don't know. It all depends on if Chie is feeling good enough to join. I doubt she'd forgive us if we went in without her for a second time; I think she worried enough last time to last her a while."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Yosuke nodded with a sigh. "I still don't like the idea of letting her join us, though. Don't get me wrong, she's a great fighter and all. It's just that…"

"It's just…?" Souji smirked. "Are you afraid she'll be the one saving your ass instead of the other way around? After all, you like looking strong in front of her, right?"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up!" The brunette growled, punching the silverette's shoulder. "Geez, you're such an ass…"

"Ah, but Yosuke, I'm your ass and you appointed me as leader. Thus… you're stuck with me." "Whose ass is what now? I didn't walk into one of those really awkward conversations, did I?" Both males jumped, looking up to meet Chie's questioning expression. The martial artist's honey-brown eyes slowly moved from one boy to the other before she shook her head, deciding it was smarter to remain ignorant on the matter. Slipping between Souji's chair and Yosuke's desk, Chie sat down with a soft sigh. "Nevermind, I think I'm better off not knowing, anyway. Seriously though, if you two want to talk about other people's backsides, do it after class, okay?"

Coughing lightly, Souji took the brief moment of silence to change the subject. "You look much better today. Did you sleep well?"

"Hm?" Chie blinked, "Oh, yeah. I was completely out cold until morning—nearly missed my alarm too, but I'm feeling great now."

"That's good…" Yosuke muttered, leaning back in his chair. "Your parents weren't home when I dropped you off and I really didn't want to leave you alone in your condition."

"Oh…?" Chie raised a questioning eyebrow. "And just what was going to happen to me alone in my house? Were you expecting a break in?"

"Wha…? N-no! You were exhausted! I don't know what could have happened! You could have whited-out for a moment and fallen down the stairs or something… I don't know!"

"Fallen down the stairs?" The brunette female repeated, sounding faintly offended. "Oh come on, Yosuke. I wasn't that tired."

"I was just—"

"If you don't mind me cutting in…" Souji said loudly over Yosuke's upset tone. "Do you think you're feeling well enough to go back to the TV world today, Chie?"

"Oh yeah, definitely." Chie nodded with enthusiasm. "I'm totally ready! Besides, I don't want Yukiko in there any longer then she has to be. She has to be terrified at this point… I can't even begin to think what her Shadow might be saying to her. After yesterday… I've really begun to wonder if I know Yukiko as well as I thought I did."

"Don't stress yourself out over it, Chie." Yosuke advised, taking the female's hand that had been resting on his desk gently in his own. "Yukiko-san is perfectly safe. It hasn't been foggy in our world, and we're not going to get rain for a while. She's probably just really tired right now… So don't worry."

Souji nodded in agreement. "Since none of us have any plans today, we can head over to Junes as soon as school is over."

"…Yeah." Chie smiled softly, giving Yosuke's hand a light squeeze before pulling away looking at the surface of her desk rather than the others faces. "Um… before I forget. Thanks…"

"Huh?" Yosuke frowned, looking confused. "What are you thanking us for?"

"For yesterday, I mean…" the martial artist shifted in her seat, embarrassed. "You two really saved me back there… and you saw my hidden feelings and everything, so…"

"Don't sweat it." The brunette male spoke up, grinning. "I really hope you don't mind me saying so… but I'm glad it happened."

"I'm sure you are…" Souji chuckled. "You never would have worked up the courage to confess to her, otherwise."

"Wh-what! That's not true!" Yosuke protested with a heavy blush. "I-it just… would have taken a little while, that's all."

"Meaning a few years?"

"Souji!"

"Awright you brats! Shut up and get in your seats! It's time for class to start!"

The three jumped and quickly straightened themselves in their desks, looking toward the front of the room with the same look of distaste in their eyes.

"Open yer books to page twenty-three and make it quick! I ain't got all day to wait for you losers to find your junk. …Everyone ready? Good. Now…"

* * *

"Are you going to bed early tonight…?" Nanako asked quietly as Souji walked into the living room and immediately turned towards the stairs.

"Huh…?" Glancing over his shoulder, the silverette smiled apologetically, nodding his head. "Yeah… I've been practicing to try out for the basketball team and Yosuke and I spent a lot of time after school in the gym today. We worked each other to the bone so…" Souji sighed as he paused near the bottom of the steps, looking guilty. He had promised Nanako that he'd read to her before bed whenever she requested—just as the young brunette had this morning. He looked up the stairway, nibbling his lower lip as he tried to convince himself he wasn't as exhausted as he felt.

"You must be working really hard, you look really tired." Nanako smiled as she stood up, rushing into the kitchen and opening the fridge.

When she shut the door, she scurried over to Souji, holding a can out to the silverette. "Dad drinks these a lot when he's had a long day. He says they help him relax and make his muscles hurt less. He told me it was for grown-ups but… You'd count as a grown-up too, right? If you drink this before bed, you should feel better tomorrow."

Taking the can gratefully, Souji bent down and pulled Nanako into a lose hug before turning toward the stairs again, stopping on the third step. "Thanks, Nanako… I promise to read to you tomorrow night, okay? As long as you want me to." I don't think I'd make a good story-teller tonight… So I'll make it up to you.

"Oh… Really!" The brunette beamed, pigtails bouncing around as she nodded her head enthusiastically. "Okay! It's a promise! Sleep well."

"You too… Don't stay up too late. There are two bento boxes in the fridge for you and your father. I made them this morning, just in case. You can eat them hot or cold." With that, Souji continued up the stairs as Nanako thanked him happily before turning to rush back toward the fridge. When he reached the landing, the silverette looked down at the can in his hands, resisting the urge to laugh as he read the label. …Beer, huh? It sure doesn't look like it. I guess Uncle buys the ones that look like juice so Nanako doesn't pick up the habit.

Opening his door, Souji set the can on the coffee table in the center of his room, planning to return it to the fridge in the morning. I guess what she said makes sense then… Haha, relaxes the body and mind, huh? Yeah, that would do it.

Quickly discarding his uniform, Souji sighed happily as he flopped down onto his futon, the feather pillow and soft mattress seeming even more comfortable than it had been the night previous. Despite his recently returned memories, simply knowing what was going to happen hadn't made the battle against Yukiko's Shadow any less exhausting. His limbs ached from the stress of suddenly being used much more often than they had before and he couldn't help but wish he'd been granted back his physical strength along with his memories.

I forgot to brush my teeth… Souji groaned as he buried his face in his pillow, wondering if it was really worth getting up over. I don't want to move at all… Yukiko's Shadow hadn't changed very much from what I remember, but… dammit, I'm still exhausted.

"Well, at least my diligence is as strong as I ever remember it being." The silverette chuckled softly, "I guess I have that going for me… Maybe that'll help me get back to where I was before faster." The thought was comforting, but it only lingered in his mind for a moment as he thought back to what had happened earlier that day.

- Begin Flashback -

"Chie!" Yosuke growled in concern as he examined a small bleeding wound on the martial artist's arm. "Don't be so reckless! Are you trying to get yourself killed!"

"Reckless!" Chie shouted, brushing in annoyance and embarrassment as Yosuke summoned his persona to heal her. "You're the one jumping in front of everything that moves!"

"That's because you're dancing around like a child on a sugar-high! You're gonna get seriously hurt if you keep this up! Why not think about what the hell you're doing when you're doing it!"

"Wha…? What about you! You're obviously not thinking when you decide to throw yourself in front of a Shadow swinging around a giant frickin' SWORD! Besides… Don't you ever listen to me? 'Don't think; FEEL!' I say it ALL the time!"

"Feel? You're gonna end up feeling a fireball in your face if you keep this up!"

"Fine, FINE. Calm down already, MOM. I'll be a good little girl for you."

"That's mature, Chie. Real mature!"

Souji sighed, resisting the urge to beat his head on the nearest wall as he listened to the newly-found couple bickering with one another as if they'd been married for years.

"Hey…" he muttered, stepping forward and pushing the two teens apart. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance as he gave them each a scorning look, the beginning amusement he had found in their little fights no longer there as they made their way through the sixth floor of the castle—it had died somewhere around the third. "Would you two just… shut up for a minute?"

Silence fell of the pair as they stared at Souji, clearly shocked at the silverette's sudden less-than-gentle reaction. Shutting his eyes, the teen exhaled slowly, releasing the two brunette's arms and stepped back.

"Thank you." He opened his eyes again, shoving the tip of his katana into a crack in the ground. He crossed his now free arms and frowned, looking between the pair in exasperation. "Now that I finally have your full attention… Yosuke, I understand you're worried about Chie, and that worry is doubled because you no longer have to hide your feelings, but there isn't a need to panic every time she gets a small cut. We both know very well that Chie is strong enough to deal with a few small wounds until they reach a point when healing would be the better choice. Until the time when she needs healing comes, either control yourself or wait with Teddie and help us from the edge of the battle field."

Yosuke open his mouth to protest, but shut it immediately as Souji raised an eyebrow, daring the brunette to argue. When he was confident that the headphone-clad teen wasn't going to say anything, he turned to the second of the pair. "Chie, I know you're eager to help out and you want to get to Yukiko as fast as possible, but Yosuke has a point. I'm not saying he's completely right, but he does have a point. Please be a little more careful and focus more on the battle at hand, rather than the ones that lie ahead. If Yosuke exhausts himself healing you because he feels the need to spazz over every little paper-cut you get,saving Yukiko is going to be a lot harder than it should be. We all want to rescue her, but if any of us allow ourselves to get over-excited, someone is going to end up hurt."

- End Flashback -

The teen groaned again as he rolled over, running a hand through his hair slowly. His head throbbed with an oncoming headache as the memory played itself over in his mind. He rubbed his temple in a futile attempt to keep the headache from coming. "I knew I was going to be tired, but I didn't think I would be this exhausted." As he

rolled over in bed and tried to find a comfortable spot to settle in for the night, he yawned and mumbled under his breath, "The next time Yosuke decides to play heroic boyfriend… I'm pushing him down the next set of stairs I see."

* * *

"So, did you and Yukiko-san make it home alright last night?" Yosuke asked as Chie plopped down into her seat.

"Huh…? Oh, yeah. Everyone was pretty busy when we got there, but they were overjoyed to have Yukiko back. They were pretty clingy for a bit, but I helped her up to her room and made sure she was comfortable before I left. I doubt she'll have any trouble at all… Everyone was so willing to help."

"It must be nice…" Souji mused quietly. "Having a large family, I mean. To know that there's always someone there willing to help you."

"Yeah, I bet it is. She—huh? Hey, partner? Are you alright? You look really… down all of a sudden." Yosuke frowned as he leaned over his desk, trying to read into the distant look in the silverette's eyes. "Are you having troubles at home with Dojima-san or something…?"

Snapping out of his daze, Souji shook his head and gave the brunette a smile to reassure that he was alright. "It's nothing. My family has always been small, so… I was wondering if it's overwhelming to have a family like hers."

"Oh, that's right… It's just you and your parents, huh?" Chie asked, "Do you get to see them often? You said they traveled a lot, so..."

Souji shrugged and turned around in his chair as the classroom door opened, trying to look as normal as possible. "I see them enough, not as much as other kids, but we see each other… enough."

In the seat behind him, Yosuke stared at the silverette's back silently, not believing his words at all. Reaching into his desk, the brunette produced a notebook and ripped out a small sheet of paper and quickly scribbled down a note. His gaze followed Morooka warily, waiting until the teacher turned around to copy something down on the board before quickly folding the paper into a small square and tossing it onto Souji's desk. Bewildered, the silver-haired teen opened it and held the note under his desk as he read it. A moment later, he glanced back at Yosuke and grinned with a nod then turned back around.

Hey, partner…

I'm not sure if I'm just seeing things or what, but that talk about families really seemed to put you down. How about we head to the shopping district after school, okay? Chie said she's off to visit Yukiko—surprise, surprise—and I don't have any plans. My shift at the Junes isn't till this evening, so we have the whole afternoon to have some fun. We'll get some food, my treat.

* * *

"You know you're in the country when sticking chunks of streak in a croquette is considered a specialty, huh?" Yosuke laughed as he popped another slice of his croquette into his mouth. "This stuff is great, even if it is hard to chew… It makes me wonder what Chie eats everyday to be able to call this stuff 'tender and juicy.' I swear, that girl's teeth must be something else…"

"We're better off not asking…" Souji chuckled softly, nibbling quietly at his own food. Yosuke's trying really hard to cheer me up, isn't he? Heh, I really don't know why I got depressed… Is it really because I missed my own parents? Not really, I'm used to that… I just think it's because… "Did you plan a night for your date yet?" I think it's because, even though I have all my memories with everyone… they still look at me as if we've just met and I miss the bonds we all used to have.

Yosuke choked, fumbling frantically for his drink and downing half of its contents in one gulp. A dark blush spread across the brunette's face as he pointed accusingly at Souji. "I-I knew it!" he coughed, still trying to swallow the chunk of steak lodged in his throat. "I knew it! You were spying! You didn't leave at all! I thought I saw you as we were leaving!"

Unable to hold it in, the silverette laughed. A wide grin spread across his faced as he nodded, trying to look guilty about what he'd done. "Alright, alright… you caught me. I'll make it up to you, okay? Where are you going? Casual or fancy?"

"H-huh?" Yosuke frowned, looking confused. "Where are we…? Well… I'm not sure. There isn't really anything fancy in Inaba, so… I was going to wait until Saturday and take her to the city for a bit, but… Why does that matter?"

"Well… You've never been on a date before, have you?"

Yosuke shook his head.

"And you have no idea what to do, how to act, or what to wear."

Yosuke nodded.

"And you believe I'm 'good with the ladies,' or so you say."

Yosuke nodded, looking slightly envious.

"You were—most likely—going to beg me for advice anyway, so to make up for spying, I might as well offer it."

Yosuke opened his mouth, seemed to think better, and shut it again, nodding for a third time grimly. "I really… don't want to screw this up, you know?" he sighed. "The last thing I need is what my Shadow said turning out to be true. I really… want to give her a first date to remember and be able to continue to give her the same feeling of joy after that, even if we're only in Inaba."

The silverette smiled softly and nodded slowly. "Yosuke… you already have the most important thing you need." He's just like me; I wanted to do the same for Naoto. He's lucky… to be able to be with the one he cares most about. Since I can't be with her right now, then… I want to do all I can to help them. He didn't get the chance before as, unfortunately, I somehow managed to pull Chie's attention from him.

"…I do?" the brunette blinked. "…You're gonna have to help me out here, partner. What's this 'important thing'?"

"It can't really be explained, Yosuke. But, judging by what you just said, you already have it."

"…You're not making any sense."

"The point being…" Souji quickly continued. "You love her, yes? The fact that you'd go so far, just for a date, at least implies it. In any case, it's this Saturday, right? I can help you get ready after school whenever I'm not busy."

"You'd… really do that?"

"Of course, we're friends." The silverette smiled. "Besides… I'd much rather give you pointers where to go on a date until you think you can do it on your own than be comforting you if you mess up."

"H-hey!" Yosuke cried, offended. "I wouldn't 'mess up'! I'm perfectly—"

"I was kidding, Youske… And thanks for the food, by the way. Hurry up and eat before it gets cold. We can go to the city tomorrow and look for someplace nice, but inexpensive. After all… if Chie insists on paying, you don't want to go somewhere ridiculous."

"…I'm not sure if I should be thanking you, or feeling insulted about all this."

"Both, I'm sure."

Yosuke snorted. "You're a cocky one, aren't y—" The brunette trailed off as a pair of woman walked by their table and stopped a few feet away. Every few moments they'd glance back as Yosuke with looks of distaste as they murmured to one another. Despite their quite tones, Souji was sure he heard the words "Junes," "Yasogami," "friend," "out of business," and something that sounded suspiciously like, "How could he even dare coming here?"

"…I'm kinda infamous around here, can you tell?" Yosuke forced a laugh as the woman walked away, the sad look on his eyes giving away the fake smile.

"…It must be tough," Souji muttered. I guess things haven't changed that much… Yosuke still gets a lot of heat for his parents work.

"Nah, it isn't that bad." The brunette shrugged, "It's mostly my parents they don't like; I'm not personally involved with this at all. They just throw their frustrations at me since I can't do anything back. I'm used to it by now, and I can't do anything about it, so…"

"That doesn't excuse their actions." The silverette's tone was bitter as he glared at another pair of housewives that had stopped to stare at Yosuke from across the street. "They're acting like children."

"Can't win every battle," Yosuke said, popping a croquette slice in his mouth. "Besides, I don't think there's anyone in this city who doesn't know who I am. No use in fighting it, they'd just end up disliking me even more—and it isn't as if they all hate me. It just sucks that I always have to mind my manners wherever I go."

"...Yosuke, you're amazing." The words slipped from Souji's lips before he could stop them. "You… really are strong. Never cut yourself short of that."

"Wha…?" Yosuke's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. Rubbing his nose, he stood up, avoiding Souji's eyes as he laughed lightly. "A-anyway, these croquettes are pretty damn good, huh? I'm getting another. You want one too, right?"

"I, uh…"

"Come on! Eating contest, you and me, right now. We'll eat till our stomachs burst!"

* * *

"Yo! Souji-kun, wait up!"

Souji paused, one foot out the door of the classroom and glanced over his shoulder. Chie was motioning for him to wait as she quickly gathered together the rest of her things and shoved them haphazardly into her school bag, throwing it over her shoulders.

Making her way around the desks, the martial artist approached Souji, greeting him with a nervous grin. "H-hey… I know you and Yosuke have been hanging out a lot this past month, but, um… Do you think… maybe I could ask you to join me today for a small favor?"

The silverette tilted his head silently in question, urging Chie to continue.

"W-well… Um, I want to go visit Yukiko, but… I really don't know if I can face her by myself right now. We've been exchanging e-mails and talking on the phone when she was feeling well-enough for it, but…"

"I don't mind," Souji said. "Yosuke and I don't have any plans today, and I don't have any club meetings either, so I can—"

"Great!" Chie cried, looking relieved. "Thanks a million, really. I owe you for this."

"We're friends, Chie… I'm always happy to help, so there's no need for repayment."

"Man, you really need to be a little more demanding once in a while, you know?"

Souji fell silent as the pair of them walked down the hallway, silently considering Chie's words.

"Alright then," he finally spoke, looking amused. "I demand to know what it is you want my help with. That's payment enough for me."

"…You're as bad as Yosuke, you know that?" the brunette sighed, shaking her head. "Anyway… I wanted to talk to you about something, but, um… I think we should wait until we're outside so there aren't so many people to listen in."

"Listen in?" What does she mean? Souji frowned, but nodded, silently agreeing with Chie's request. Did something happen? When they finally reached the far end of the flood plain close to the residential district, Chie glanced around once. She nodded silently to herself as if answering her own unspoken question and glanced at Souji before looking toward the ground.

"Are you going to tell me why you brought me now?" The silverette asked quietly, watching Chie intently. She never asked me to join like this before. Could the simple act of pushing Yosuke and Chie together really have changed so much so quickly? …I suppose that we're closer than we were the first time around as well. I'm beginning to understand that phrase, "A single grain of rice can tip the scale."

"I was wondering, um… Souji-kun… What did you think of Yukiko's Shadow? I know it isn't right to talk about something like this when she isn't here with us but… I really don't think I'll be able to talk to her face-to-face about this and… I really need to let it out. I've been holding it in all month. I tried talking to Yosuke about it, but he was too worried about me to let me get everything I needed to say out."

"He's just trying to show you how much he cares, Chie. He'll learn to back off in time… but right now he's as new to dating as you are and he's trying to find a way he can worry about you without suffocating you at the same time—but we'll worry about Yosuke later. Why do you want to talk about Yukiko's Shadow?" Hers was the only one so far that wasn't drastically different. Sure it was a little harsher on some subjects, but it wasn't half as drastic as Yosuke or Chie's.

"Well… Let's see, how can I put this…?" Scratching her forehead, Chie sighed heavily, obviously at a loss for words. "It's like this, Souji-kun. Her Shadow, it… really freaked me out."

Souji blinked, stopping as he turned to stare at Chie who had taken a sudden interest in her shoes. The brunette's hands were absently knotting themselves in the extra sleeve fabric of her jacket as her weight was shifted from foot to foot. "It… 'Freaked you out'?" he repeated slowly, trying to properly read the meaning of the brunette's words. "…Well, I suppose I can understand that."

"You… can?" Chie asked, sounding shocked. "I-I mean, you don't think I sound like a bad person for thinking that?"

"Not at all… It makes sense after all. You saw something that could have very well been you, with Yukiko in your place." Souji explained, gently pushing Chie's shoulder to urge the brunette to walk again. "Haven't you ever felt like that? What her Shadow was saying, that is."

"Well…" the martial artist hesitated, carefully debating over her words before speaking. "Yeah, I guess I have… I mean, obviously, I'm nowhere near as feminine as Yukiko. I've always been the tomboyish one who was told to 'be more feminine' and 'act like the other girls.' So… when people like Yosuke would look at Yukiko and ignore me, I guess I felt isolated, but…"

Souji nodded quietly, watching a cat slink across a nearby roof as they waited for a car to pass so that they might cross the street. "Do you remember the things your own Shadow said, Chie? Even if it's hard to admit to yourself… you seem to enjoy having control quite a bit. Don't misunderstand; I'm not calling you a control-freak or anything of the sort. You're not the only one who likes to be able to control the situations they're in or unconsciously using others to make themselves feel—"

"I-I wasn't using Yukiko!" Chie cried, upset. "I was… I was…"

"Chie…" Souji sighed, shaking his head. "Calm down… I wasn't saying you were. I have no doubt in my mind that your friendship with Yukiko is genuine, and you mean much more to the other then either of you seem to notice, but you admitted yourself that part of you had been clinging to Yukiko for that feeling of control. Contrary to that… Yukiko feels trapped by those who are in control. Why do you think her Shadow took the form it did…?"

"The… form it did?" Chie blinked, tilting her head. "What do you mean…?"

"After her Shadow transformed, the creature we fought."

"You mean that bird-thing in the cage? I don't understand what you… mean…" she trailed off, eyes widening faintly as she stopped walking, staring into the distance.

"Understand now?"

"A caged bird…" the brunette repeated softly, her face contorting with guilt. "Then… Yukiko's Shadow, those chains and that cage… They're my fault?"

"No, not exactly…" Souji muttered, running a hand through his hair slowly.

They neared another street and stopped, watching as the various shapes and colors of cars passed by them. Chie had fallen completely silently as she waited for Souji to explain what he meant, while the silverette tried to work together what he was trying to say without hurting the female's feelings. He grunted, silently wishing he had some sort of memory from the first time around that would help him right now—but if he only relied on memories, Souji knew that would be no better than living in a world of fog.

"Yukiko, like you, also has a choice. You both have so many different paths in front of you that can be taken, but unlike you, Yukiko doesn't see that she has the ability to make that choice."

"So she's… lost?" Chie asked, trying to understand what Souji was telling her.

"Well… yeah, I suppose you could put it that way."

"So then… whose fault is it? Where is all this trouble coming from and… what can we do?"

"I'm not sure there is a 'source' per se," Souji mused. "Or rather, if you think about it, there are too many factors and sources that helped contribute to the problem to pin-point the origin of the problem. But whatever the case, where it started doesn't matter. What's important right now is that you're both aware of what the problem is. Now you just have to keep it from getting worse and work on fixing it."

"…Wow," Chie muttered, her body walking alongside Souji on auto-pilot as she gazed off to the side in a daze. "I… never really thought about it like that before. You're… right."

"I'm not really right," Souji sighed. "I'm just choosing the best choice I can think of and hoping it will help."

"No, no… Really, you've helped a lot more then you know. I—oh, we're here…" the martial artist said, sounding surprised as she stared up at the house-side entrance of the Amagi Inn. "I… didn't even notice."

"That's good," the silverette grinned. "It means you were really listening and thinking about this. I guess we're on the right track after all."

"Hahaha, yeah…" Chie sighed, shaking her head slowly. "Man, I'm still kinda creeped out about that whole 'prince' thing, you know? I know that she thought pretty highly of me and all, but… something like that, it's just…"

"Symbolism."

"…Huh?"

"Symbolism," Souji repeated. "I don't think she meant the literal meaning of the word 'prince,' not exactly. I think it was… just a way for us to help understand what it was Yukiko was really feeling. It just means… Well, she thinks very highly of you. You're her best friend; a best friend can be a savior as much as a lover or real prince-charming."

"I really hope so. I really don't like horses all that much, so…" Chie grinned. "I wouldn't be able to ride in and save her from anything like a brave prince is supposed to."

Souji laughed. "I doubt you'll need to look into it that literally. Although, I'm willing to bet you wouldn't mind if Yosuke—"

"Wh-what! Th-that's completely off topic! Not to mention mean!" the martial artist blushed heavily, looking embarrassed under Souji's knowing look. "I-I mean it's true, but still mean!"

The silverette snorted and shook his head, forcing down the laughter that bubbled into his throat. "In any case… Don't worry about horses or castles—worry about the main picture."

"Yeah…" the brunette smiled softly as she nodding, pausing as she reached to knock on the door. "Just… one more thing."

"Hm?"

"How do we fix things? How to we keep them from getting worse? What can we do…?"

"I can't tell you that…" Souji said, shaking his head. "That is something only you and Yukiko can figure out. You don't have to do it alone of course, you have each other to rely on, but the only advice I can really give to you is to always remember what you saw, both your Shadow, and hers, and don't allow yourselves to fall back to that."

"I see…" Rapping her knuckles against the door of Yukiko's home several times Chie stepped back and stared at the sky as she carefully thought over Souji's words. "I'll remember all that. Thanks for coming with and talking to me today. This—I really think it'll help."

"Anytime," the silver-eyed teen said as the door opened and a woman who looked like a much older version of Yukiko with beautiful features opened the door. Her eyes brightened as she recognized Chie, and she opened the door further. As she noticed the silverette, she offered Souji a welcoming smile before ushering them inside and toward the stairs that lead to Yukiko's room.

* * *

A cool evening breeze drifted through the open window a vast and elegant study, ruffling the pages of the open books and files scattered across the table a slender youth was bent over. The end of April had come and the evenings had lost their icy winter chill, slowly in the process of changing into a more favorable spring-like fashion. The only light in the room was from that of a desk lamp at the corner of the table, its shaft carefully bent so that the light shone brightly upon the pages, but left the surrounding area of the room in almost complete darkness.

The figure sitting at the table mumbled something under their breath, sighing in frustration as they grabbed a notebook and began jotting down notes quickly in an elegant script-like writing. The notebook was dropped to the table with another sigh as the figure shook their head slowly. "No… that doesn't add up. Yukiko Amagi can't possibly be the killer. I can't imagine why such an angle was even explored. While she had the motive to protect her mother, there was no other evidence proving any aggression toward Mayumi Yamano. Still… with Yukiko Amagi removed as a suspect, that leaves the police with little to nothing. I suppose they'll cling to any theory that they—"

A knock cut off the mumbled tangent as the sitting figure blinked and looked toward the door. "...I thought that I was the only one awake." Raising their voice the figure called out, "Come in!"

The door to the study opened and a man with short, bleach-blond hair stepped inside. A pair of sunglasses was removed and pocketed as the blond man looked around, frowning slightly. "It's midnight... While I know you want to learn as much about this case as possible before joining it, I really think you should go to bed for tonight."

"I'll head to bed shortly… I just wish to finish reading through this file and—"

"Then it will be one more file. You're just like the master. You can't fool me…"

"You didn't come in here just to convince me to go to bed, Yakushiji-san. To what do I owe the pleasure of this late-night visit?"

"Early morning is more like it, Naoto-sama. They haven't yet officially decided if they are going to send you to Inaba. Please, at the very least, save the late night case-work until then. Master Shirogane would never forgive me if I allowed you to neglect your health in his absence."

"…You've neglected to answer my question."

"Ah…" Yakushiji smiled sheepishly and stepped forward, holding out a small box wrapped in deep, navy-blue wrapping paper. A silver ribbon was wrapped around the box, tied in a near perfect bow at the top with a single white card attached to it. "This was delivered anonymously today for you, Naoto-sama. There was a second card addressed to myself, much to my surprise, that instructed me to give this to you the moment the clock struck April the twenty-seventh. Whoever sent it seemed to be quite convinced you'd still be awake. Did you tell someone within the police force of your birthday, Naoto-sama?"

"…I didn't." Naoto frowned, taking the box slowly, eyeing it with suspicion. "Did you look into this at all?"

The secretary nodded. "I did. Before bringing it into the house I took a short walk to the police station and had it screened. Your grandfather was alerted as well and he claims he had nothing to do with it. However the package is quite safe and you needn't worry about opening it."

"From your biggest fan… I missed your birthday the last time I was here, so I hope this makes up for my foolish mistake. Happy Birthday, Naoto." Naoto read aloud with a small frown as she turned the card over several times, raising it briefly to her nose before examining it in the light of the lamp. "The card is typed and I can't smell nor visually detect any invisible inks. Whoever sent this knew what they were doing. Except… the word 'fool' is in italics. Just fool, not the remaining 'i-s-h.'" Is it… supposed to be a clue? A hint as to who sent this?

"They must admire you very much, Naoto-sama… The package has been treated well."

"There is no possible way to return to sender?"

"None at all, Naoto-sama. They left no means of returning it… They did, however, mention in the note addressed to me that… Well, there was a request that I kept you from burning, shredding or otherwise destroying it. They wished that you would, if nothing else, open it. After that it is completely your own choice."

"…I see. I suppose there is no harm in that." Picking up the present, Naoto carefully untied the ribbon and peeled back the paper. Under the wrapping was a plain white box with a removable lid that was quickly lifted away. A soft gasp escaped the lips of the young sleuth as she, very gently, pulled a thick hardbound book from the box, cradling it in her arms.

The cover was heavily faded, but obviously well cared for. The spine whined in soft protest as it was opened, revealing pages deeply yellowed with old age. Naoto ran her fingers along the paper slowly, almost hesitantly, as if it might shatter at the wrong movement.

"Naoto-sama…?"

"This… I've never seen a copy this old before. This is… one of the original first edition printings of Sherlock Holmes. It… books like this… they're quite rare. To think that anyone would be able to get their hands on such a book—let alone in such good condition…" Leaning forward, the sleuth eagerly looking into the box, retrieving the second and final item. "This is…"

"A DVD box set? Ah, they're in the slim boxes. That explains how they fit in the smaller packaging."

"Famous detective movies. Some of these films date back as far as the late thirties. I wasn't aware that such a collection was for sale. These gifts must have cost a fortune…"

"What will you do with them, Naoto-sama? Shall I discard them as per normal with anonymous gifts?"

"N-no!" Naoto hugged the book protectively against her chest and pulled the box-set away from Yakushiji toward herself. "I, ah… I mean… It would be a shame to waste such a unique gift. I'd return it to the sender if I could, but…"

Yakushiji chuckled softly, nodding. "As you wish, Naoto-sama. Shall I take them to your room while you prepare yourself for bed?"

"I… yes. That would be most appreciated. Please take care of them—especially the book. The DVDs can go on the shelf, but leave the book on my nightstand."

"As you wish. Goodnight, Naoto-sama."

"…Goodnight, Yakushiji-san."

"Once more thing, Naoto-sama…" Yakushiji paused in the doorway, fixing the young detective with a desperate look. "Please, go to bed when you finish. I'll take care of the packaging and ensure that it does not get damaged for your later inspection, but remember the meeting tomorrow. I'll leave them in your room for you to investigate to your heart's desire once you're done speaking with the police department. However, I must insist that—"

"You needn't worry, Yakushiji-san. I'll retire as soon as I've prepared myself for sleep. You should go to bed shortly as well, as I assume it is you who is driving me there."

Yakushiji nodded. "The Master has a meeting as well and I will be driving him earlier in the morning."

"I thought as such… If you'll excuse me."

"Of course, Naoto-sama. Sleep well."


	9. Positive Reinforcement

Two chapters in a week... I'm feeling rather proud of myself right now. I want to thank everyone for their kind reviews and and warm welcome back to the Persona 4 fiction-fandom. Although, I will admit, the close updates here are my attempt to make up for several weeks of absence and I hope you're all willing to forgive me. I really am loving all the reviews I'm getting, and it thrills me to know people are still interested and trying to predict what is going to happen.

However, updates for this story are going to go on a mini-hiatus until I update two more chapters of "The Long Road Home" (one of which is already written and just needs BETA-ing, so don't worry.) I don't want to abandon either story, as PruAus (Prussia and Austria) and SouNao (this one) are my favourite couples and I'd feel terrible completely ignoring one in favour of the other. Besides, this way, I don't get bored with one story and I'll be able to push myself when switching between fandoms (because going from Souji to Prussia is a fairly drastic change...)

Um, other than that, please enjoy the chapter. Let me know if you enjoy what is going on or if I'm going about this completely wrong. -bows- Thank you all for the continued support.

**

* * *

Chapter Eight:**

Souji watched the news report on the television with a blank expression, absently stirring the contents of his drink. Since the station had finally run out of different ways to say that Yukiko had been found and the story had lost its original spark, they had returned to reporting events going on outside of Inaba. The story of Namatame had grown boring to the silverette's ears and he often found his mind wandering whenever the man's name was mentioned.

**- Begin Flashback -**

"Yo! Souji!" Yosuke called as the silverette walked into the room. "Come over here for a sec, Chie says she wants to tell us something."

Chie sat next on Yosuke's desk, her eyes much brighter then Souji remembered them being a week ago when he'd walked with the brunette to Yukiko's house. She waited until the silver-haired youth sat down before speaking, looking ready to burst with the news she waited to share.

"Well…?" Yosuke asked when Souji had situated himself. "What's the big news? Did you get a new kung-fu movie or something?"

"Wha? A new… No, you idiot!" Chie growled, smacking the back of Yosuke's head. "Don't even talk about those! I still haven't replaced the one you broke."

"OW! Hey, I paid you back!"

"Yeah, well—oh, nevermind! I'm getting distracted! Anyway… I was talking to Yukiko last night on the phone and she said she'd be at school tomorrow! Her mom wants her to wait until Saturday so she can get everything she needs, and then she'll use Sunday to catch up."

"That's good to hear…" Souji smiled as Yosuke let out a small whoop of delight. "I'm glad to hear she's feeling better."

"Yeah… she can't wait to get back either. She hates lying around and not being able to do anything. I've been trying to visit her at least once every other day and…"

**- End Flashback -**

_It'll be nice to have her around again,_ Souji mused and sipped his drink, wincing as he felt the hot liquid burn as it traveled down his throat. _Yosuke can heal, but his skills were basic at most. Yukiko worked as our main healer, so I'll have to remember to organize some time for us to go training later._

A sudden burst of sound jerked Souji from his thoughts as Nanako changed the channel and the ending notes from the credits of a children's hero cartoon filling the room.

"Nanako…" Dojima sighed from the couch, giving the young brunette a faint look of disapproval. "What did I say about changing the channel without asking?"

"But…" Nanako began, bowing her head in guilt.

The detective winced and Souji had to bite back a laugh. Even if Dojima was strict sometimes, Nanako had her father completely wrapped around her little finger. The silverette was no better, but he had learned how to avoid Nanako's unintentional means of looking utterly adorable to the point where it was nearly impossible to say "no". _I look forward to the day when she realizes just how strong her hold is over her father…_

"H-hey…" Dojima sighed, looking uneasy. "Nanako, I—"

_"Have a great day, even during Golden Week at your local Junes! Come and see for yourself, and get in touch with our products…"_

"Everyday's great at your Junes!"

Dojima choked on his drink and stared at Souji in shock as both nephew and daughter sang the jingle together. Nanako beamed and gave the silverette a bright smile of gratitude for singing along with her.

"Dad! Dad! They're going to be open during Golden Week!"

"Ahaha…I know, I heard." Dojima nodded slowly, eyeing Souji as if he wasn't completely convinced it was coffee in the silverette's cup. "Do you want to go somewhere during the long holiday?"

"Huh…?" the young girl jumped to her feet, eyes wide. "W-we can go somewhere? Really!"

"I don't see why not." The detective grinned as he nodded again. "How about it? Do you have any plans, Souji?"

"Me…?" Souji shook his head. "Nope, none at all." _Golden Week… That's right, someone else in the department ended up getting ill, and…_ _Dammit. I should have asked him who it was back then… She did seem really happy when we ended up going to Junes, though. I wonder if I could do anything special for her…_

"Then let's all go somewhere together!" Nanako exclaimed, clapping her hands together as she swayed from side to side happily. "Junes! Junes, Junes, Junes!"

"…Junes?" Dojima repeated, an odd look on his face. "Nanako, we can go there anytime."

"But…" the brunette's shoulders slumped. "Junes is…"

"Why don't we think about it later, Nanako?" Souji interjected, earning a curious look from the brunette. "After all, if we take the time to organize something, we might be able to have more fun."

"He's right," Dojima nodded, standing up. "We'll think about something big we can all do together, but right now, it's time for bed. You have school tomorrow."

"…Alright." Nanako sighed, walking around the table, stopping to give Souji a hug before hurrying off to the bathroom.

Dojima's eyes followed his daughter until she disappeared into the hallway before turning to Souji, looking the silverette up and down carefully. "She's really warmed up to you, hasn't she?"

Souji paused, his hand lingering a few inches away from his drink as he slowly raised his gaze to meet his Uncle's. He nodded, not wanting to bring suspicion to himself by letting something better off kept a secret slip out. _It's not like I can tell him I already know about as much about her as he does. It's bad enough he's already started giving me odd looks when it comes to the case._

"I'm glad."

The silverette blinked. He hadn't expected that.

"Normally she's so shy around strangers, and since I can't be home as much as I'd like, I'm always worried she feels lonely. I know it's only for a year… but thanks for helping me out with her. I'm really glad she has someone she can always rely on."

Souji stood up and grabbed his cup, shaking his head slowly as he reached for Dojima's empty one. "I'm not really doing that much… Besides, we're family, right?" He walked into the kitchen and emptied the rest of his cup in the sink before rinsing both cups out. "She can rely on you just as much as me—if not more-so. You don't have to physically be somewhere for someone to be able to rely on you. I may be home more, but… in the end, you're still her father. I can't ever replace that—and I doubt she'd want anyone to even try."

The older man stared at Souji in awe, his mouth hanging open slightly as he struggled to piece together a retort. Smiling, the silverette turned and started for the stairs, glancing over his shoulder as he said.

"She really loves you, you know. Whenever you aren't home, she talks about you a lot and she always has such a warm smile when she does. She'll always be 'daddy's little girl', I'm sure of it... So don't count yourself out so easily."

"Wha… I…" Dojima's cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment as he looked down at the empty table in front of him, considering his nephew's words.

"Heh… Goodnight, Uncle Dojima."

"Y-yeah, goodnight."

**

* * *

**

_It's sunny today… That's nice._ Souji thought as he made his way through the school district. He turned, starting up the hill that lead to the school gate, pausing as he heard someone call out to him.

"Oh! Souji-kun, g-good morning!"

"Hm…? Ah, Yukiko… good morning." The silverette smiled as he approached the raven, nodding once in greeting. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks for asking." Yukiko nodded happily, a soft smile forming on her lips. "It's nice to be back in school again… I never thought I'd actually end up missing it this much."

"I'm sure everyone is glad to see you again—Chie especially. It's all she would talk about yesterday; Yosuke was almost green with envy."

"…Yosuke-kun? Envious…? Of… me?"

Souji laughed, nodding. "Of course. All of Chie's attention was focused on your return, so he was jealous."

"O-oh, um… S-should I apologize to him?"

Snorting, Souji turned away from Yukiko and glanced toward the school, biting back his laughter. "Apologize? You have nothing to be sorry about. Don't feel bad because Yosuke was ignored for a day. Personally, I'm just glad Chie's back to her old self."

"Her 'old self'? What do you…?"

"She was pretty down after we rescued you… She—" The silver-haired teen paused, hesitating. "Well… It's really not my business to say anything behind her back. Hasn't she talked to you about all this?"

"You mean… my Shadow?" Yukiko looked down, guilt crossing her features. "…Yes, she talked to me about it. We talked a lot this past week. I never realized that we were both hiding so much from each other, but… I'm glad we're able to talk about it now."

"That's good." Souji said, "I'm glad things are working out. She seemed to perk up for a while after she and Yosuke had a successful first date… but the enthusiasm seemed to die off while you were gone, so hopefully, things will start to get back to normal around here."

"Yeah, I—"

"Yukiko! There you are!"

The raven turned, her expression brightening as she waved to the brunette who had just called her name.

"It's Chie!" Yukiko started down the hill, pausing as she peered over her shoulder and smiled. "I'll talk to you later, okay? Chie said that we all needed to talk about something on the roof after school. I'll see you then."

"Yeah… See you later."

Souji watched quietly as Yukiko scurried down the hill, stopping in front of an enthusiastic Chie who wasted no time in throwing her arms around the raven's shoulders. The two began chatting happily with one another with the brunette making dramatic hand gestures as she spoke. As he turned away, the silverette couldn't help but feel a faint pang of jealousy toward the two friends as they happily clung to one another, happy to be reunited once again.

_I'm glad we were able to save Yukiko. She's just as energetic as I remember her being after she returned, but…_ He sighed, kicking a rock absently as he made his way toward the front doors of the school. _I wish… I was able to greet 'her' like that, but she isn't even in Inaba yet…_

**

* * *

**

"I'm back!" Yukiko announced cheerily, jogging across the rooftop to where Souji and the others were waiting for her. "Sorry that took so long… I had to ask a teacher to get me some hot water from the office since the students' coffee maker is getting some work done today—Chie, the soba was yours, right?"

"Yeah, I—wow, it smells great! How much longer until we can eat…?"

"It still needs a few minutes." Yukiko said, smiling apologetically as she held a plastic bowl in instant noodles out to the female brunette. "But while we're waiting… Can someone explain why we're up here in the first place?"

"We wanted to ask you what happened." Souji explained, leisurely lowering himself to sit next to the standing Yosuke. "I know it probably isn't something you want to talk about on your first day back, but…"

"Do you remember _anything_ that happened when you were kidnapped?" Yosuke asked, stepping forward to take the seat on Chie's left. "Anything at all?"

The raven sighed softly, nibbling her bottom lip as she stared at the ground, eyebrows knitting together in deep thought. "…No, I can't remember anything." She raised her gaze to give Yosuke and apologetic look, shaking her head. "I'd thought mulling over it for a while might help… but that's only made things worse. All I can remember is the doorbell ringing… and then someone calling my name. When I woke up after that, I was already in the Castle and you all came a while after… I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize…" Chie said sympathetically, cupping Yukiko's shoulder. "It isn't your fault… _You_ were the one who was kidnapped. I'm surprised you remember as much as you do, but… Does that mean the person who rang the doorbell was…"

"The culprit?" Souji finished with a small frown, "But… how could that be?"

"You gotta admit, killer or not, the man has guts." Yosuke muttered with a sigh. "Walking right up to the door and ringing the bell? We're not messing with an ordinary guy here… I'm willing to bet the witness reports from the police are useless too, if any exist. If no one saw her being kidnapped, I doubt they'd know the killer if they saw him anyway."

"But… who would do something like this? I mean, I can kinda understand if someone got upset at that TV anchor for the affair and all, but…" Chie shook her head, looking upset. "Saki-senpai and Yukiko? They're just teenagers. Who could have a grudge against them strong enough that they'd want to kill them?"

"Who knows," the brunette said with a shrug. "All we know is that _someone_ from our side is kidnapping people and throwing them into the TV—and I somehow doubt they're using a local one like we are. Otherwise we could just check the security cameras."

"Do you think they're taking people to their house and throwing them in…?" Souji mused, glancing at Yosuke. "But wouldn't people notice an unconscious body being toted around the city?"

"Dunno… We don't have enough information to make anything of _how_ the murderer is doing it right now. We just know the basis of _what_ he's doing—but, anyway, Souji and I are going to catch the culprit ourselves, even if it kills us. The police had no idea what they're really dealing with here, but we have Personas now, so we've got the upper hand."

Nodding, the silverette smiled faintly at Yosuke's enthusiasm to find an answer. _You know… if he put this much effort into school, he'd probably be able to trump me easily._ "Now that we all have the same power… Would you be willing to help us out, Yukiko?"

"Um, well…" the raven hesitated, looking down at the paper cover of her instant fried tofu.

"I'm helping out too!" Chie said loudly, fixing Yosuke with a firm look as she spoke. "You promised me I could—"

"I only said you could help with Yukiko!" Yosuke cried, standing up. "It's dangerous in there! I don't want—"

"Yosuke," Souji cut in, looking amused. "You sound like you're her mother… I know you're worried, but if you keep fussing over her like this, either I'm going to cut _you_ off the team, or you're going to end up dumped, and I'm not going to stay up till odd hours of the morning comforting you."

"Wh-what! You-! Souji! We're supposed to be partners in this!"

"And as your partner, I'm trying to calm you down." Souji said seriously, nodding towards Chie. "We both know we need all the help we can get. Chie isn't weak, Yosuke. She can defend herself… or do you not think so?"

"O-of course I think she can defend herself!" retorted Yosuke, pride evident in his voice. "She could easily take on any guy in this school and probably most of Inaba—and _win_, hands down!"

Behind Yosuke, Chie fixed the back of the brunette's head with a bright expression of gratitude. Grabbing his jacket, the martial artist tugged Yosuke back into his seat with a sharp jerk of her wrist.

"Yosuke…" she leaned over, pressing her lips briefly against the brunette's cheek with a bright flush. "Then there's no argument then, right? I can help! You think I'm strong enough to do it—you just said it yourself."

"I… that… but…" Yosuke sighed, groaning as he hid his face in his hands. "Alright… fine. You win…"

"Woohoo!" The martial artist cried in delight, giving the headphone-clad teen a much more enthusiastic kiss on the same cheek. "Thank you, Yosuke!"

"…Wow." Yukiko muttered, watching as Yosuke slowly lowered his hands, revealing a bright crimson face. "She really…"

"She has him completely tied around her little finger." Souji laughed, "And it's too tight to escape—but he's probably too happy to be there to bother trying."

"Yeah…" Yukiko giggled softly, watching as the Chie continued to smother Yosuke with teasing affection, having gone completely oblivious to the presence of the other two. "…Let me help too, then."

"Hm?" Souji turned, blinking. "You want to…"

"I want to help." The raven nodded, "I don't want to keep running away from myself, and… I want to know what is going on. I want to know why I was kidnapped, and what it was I did to make someone hate me enough to try and kill me."

"That's great," the silverette smiled. "We need as much help as we can get—and I'm sure you'll be a great asset." _That's good… we've finally got our healer back. I won't have to worry about switching between multiple Personas to watch everyone myself now… At least that's a small weight off my shoulders._

"So I won't be the only girl?" Chie cut in, as she leaned forward, holding Yosuke's head tightly in a headlock as the brunette flailed about. "That's good to know… Uh, not that I don't trust you two, but… you know."

"We understand completely," Souji muttered, eyeing Yosuke warily. "You, uh… might want to let him go, Chie. I'm not entirely sure he can breathe."

"Huh? What—oh! Oops! Sorry, Yosuke! I didn't realize I had you so tight."

"I-I'm f-fine…" Yosuke said, his voice muffled, "B-breathing isn't the issue here. I-I… u-um… y-you're… squishing my face against y-your chest."

_Yosuke… You're a lot braver than I give you credit for,_ the silver-haired teen thought as he watched Chie turn a shade of red that matched Yukiko's sweater perfectly. She quickly released her grip on Yosuke and moved closer to the raven, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"A-anyway… How are we going to catch this guy? I mean, we have no leads on him and we don't have any idea where we should start looking."

"Well, I was the third victim, but I don't think it's going to stop with just me… Not now that I've survived. If there was a way for us to tell who was going to be targeted next…"

"So you mean… outsmart the killer?" Yosuke asked, looking at Yukiko curiously. "Yeah, that's not a bad idea. If we could find out what all the victims had in common, we might be able to figure out a strategy. So… what's something they all had in common?"

"…They all live in Inaba?" Chie said, her statement coming out closer to question.

"Well… We were all female." Yukiko muttered, frowning. "Do you think he's targeting only females?"

"Ugh… What sort of sick bastard does something like that!"

"I don't think that's the case…" Souji sighed, shaking his head. _If I put forth a suggestion… it wouldn't look suspicious. They couldn't accuse me of knowing too much for what they think is an idea. _"It's been females so far… but we can't assume they will be the only targets, however… Haven't you noticed? Everyone appeared on the Midnight Channel before being kidnapped."

"That's true…" Yosuke nodded in agreement, looking surprised. "I was just thinking the same thing—Chie, you said that some guy in the class next to ours saw that announcer on the Midnight Channel, right?"

"Yeah… That was when I was asking Yukiko if she'd tried it yet."

"And what about this," the brunette continued enthusiastically. "The second and third cases are connected to the first. That can't be a coincidence."

"But what would the motive be?" Souji cut in, "If you look at it that way, Yukiko's mother would have made the better target… Remember when Yukiko said her mother collapsed after the announcer gave her a hard time?"

"Maybe… they were trying to get at Yukiko's mom through her? I mean, she _is_ her daughter." Chie suggested, looking between Souji and Yosuke. "I mean, that'd make sense, right?"

"Oh… Yeah! You're right." Yosuke slapped his first into the palm of his hand. "I hadn't even thought about that angle—nice work, Chie."

Souji bit back a groan as he pinched the bridge of his nose. _That's right. I don't remember who the real culprit was… but I definitely remember the first case didn't cause the rest of them. Dammit, it sucks not being able to say anything without arousing suspicion. I really… wish Naoto were here. Heh, not that it'd be any easier. I'll have to be even more careful around her than I would with these guys._

"So the next time it rains…" Yukiko trailed off, staring into the distance.

"Yeah, we'll be sure to watch and see if we can figure out who appears." Yosuke grinned before continuing in a mock-professional voice. "I officially announce this meeting adjourned, good work team, I'm—Oh, hey… aren't those done?" He nodded toward the instant bowls on the girls laps.

"Ooo…" Chie grinned, quickly removing the top from her own. "You're right! It's chow-time!"

The mouth-watering scent drifted from both bowls and carried on the wind toward Souji and Yosuke, their mouths instantly beginning to water. The silverette winced, the clear memory of the last time he'd had this same meeting flashing before his mind as he hastily moved to the side and tried to breathe as little as possible. _I'd really rather not relive that particular memory… I felt bad enough the first time._

"Oh man, that smells great…" Yosuke muttered, voicing the thoughts of the two males. "H-hey… Chie, can I have a bite of that? Please! Just one!"

"Wha…? No way! Hands off the soba! Go and fish out your own if you want it so bad."

"Aw… come on! Just one bite!" Yosuke pressed his hands together in a begging motion, bowing his head slightly. "Pleaaase, Chie?"

"But…"

"You should give him some…" Souji said suddenly, grinning at Chie. "On the condition that you get to feed it to him."

"H-huh!" The two brunette's blushed furiously, avoiding each other's eyes as Yukiko turned to look at them curiously.

"Th-that's…" Chie started, looking at Yosuke, who had turned an amusing shade of red yet again. "Um, I mean… isn't that what… lovers do?" The moment she said the words, she instantly regretted them. The red color drained from Yosuke's face as he turned slightly pale, turning away from Chie as he gave the ground a dejected look.

"…Ouch." Souji muttered, patting the brunette's shoulder sympathetically. "H-hey… she didn't mean it like that, Yosuke. Don't take it so ha—huh?" The silverette blinked as Chie stood up. He stepped to the side, not wanting to get in the martial artists way as she approached Yosuke and pushed him—both gently and forcefully at the same time—back onto the stone bench of the roof.

"Huh…? Chie, what're you-?" Yosuke's words were abruptly cut off as the female brunette held a generous helping of noodles up to his mouth with her chopsticks. He blinked, carefully looking from the noodles to the, now very red, martial artist who was looking down at him expectantly. "…Huh?" was the only intelligent response Yosuke could think of.

"I think she's feeding you, partner." Souji chuckled softly, "That's your cue to shut up and eat what she gives you."

Yosuke opened his mouth to reply, thought better, and shut it again, glancing up hesitantly at Chie who nodded in confirmation. A dark blush spread across his cheeks as he opened his mouth slowly, accepting the noodles happily as Chie pushed them past his lips. Behind her, Yukiko smiled softly as she watched her brunette friend carefully use her chopsticks to offer Yosuke another mouthful of noodles.

"Those two really get along well, huh?" she muttered as Souji took a seat next to her, not wanting to disturb the happy couple. "She's completely zoned out…"

"I suppose that's love for you…" he felt a smile spread across his own face, but the sadness in it startled the raven next to him. "When you're in love, there are points in time where the other person is the only one in the world, and you completely forget about anything else. It can cause a lot of pain if you're not careful, but…" he turned to Yukiko, forcing his smile to appear more joyful. "…but it can also bring you some of the happiest memories of your life."

Yukiko blushed heavily, quickly returning her gaze to the fried tofu on her lap. "You, um… sound like you speak from experience, Souji-kun."

The silverette chuckled softly, nodding his head as the sorrowful smile returned. "…I do."

"…Did something happen?" Yukiko asked, the sudden drop in the male's tone concerning her. "I-I mean, is she alright? Was she hurt, or…?"

"Ahaha, it's alright. You needn't worry about that… She isn't dead. She's just… far away right now." He hesitated before finishing quietly. "Something… happened a while ago, and she doesn't remember who I am at all. Nothing about me… or the time we spent together. If we saw each other on the street… I'd just be a stranger to her."

"Oh… Souji-kun, I… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something painful."

"It's fine, Yukiko, really… She's healthy and strong right now. That's all that matters to me. She's safe and healthy."

"That's… amazing. I mean, _you're_ amazing."

"…Huh?" Souji blinked, looking bewildered. "I… am?"

Yukiko nodded. "That you can talk about her so fondly, and still smile happily when you think of the memories, even if it causes you pain… It's amazing. Most people wouldn't be able to handle something like that so easily… You… you must really love this person, huh?"

The smile on Souji's face brightened as he nodded happily, his eyes sparkling softly. "More than anything… she's the world to me. So, even if we can't be together like we used to… as long as I'm able to see her from time to time, and know that she's okay… that's enough."

"…Well, I really hope she's able to remember you then." The raven placed a comforting hand on Souji's shoulder, giving him an encouraging look. "I'm sure she will! You're the type who's impossible to forget, no matter what the situation. People recover from amnesia all the time, so I'm sure she will to."

"Y-yeah…" he nodded, unable to cut the raven down with the truth he knew would never happen. "Maybe… Thanks, Yukiko."

"Thank you for trusting me like this… This seems like the type of thing you'd talk to Yosuke-kun about—you two are really close, after all. It's… kind of surprising. He never really talked to anyone besides Chie or me before. At least… not outside of school."

The silverette sighed, shaking his head. "I want to, but…" he looked toward Chie and Yosuke, who were both chatting idly between bites. "…I don't want to ruin anything that might happen between them. They're happy and in love… I don't want them to fear what happened to me happening to them. They're protective of each other enough as it is—and besides… it's nice talking to you like this."

"…It is, isn't it?" Yukiko chuckled, "It really does feel like we've done this before, huh? I wonder… if what I said about 'kindred spirits' is really true."

"I wouldn't doubt it." _You have no idea just how close you are to being right, Yukiko._ "But I won't take the feeling for granted… because I'm really glad it's there."

"Boy, you two are getting along well." An amused tone cut in, making Yukiko and Souji jump. "You'd think you two were the ones dating."

"Wh-what? They'd better not be!" said Chie threateningly, though her teasing smile was light and happy. "I know we're friends and all, Souji-kun… but no one gets that close to Yukiko without going through me first!"

"We were just… talking." Souji said, raising an eyebrow slowly. "You two were the ones who zoned out, what else were we supposed to do?"

"W-we did not!" Chie protested, blushing. "We were just…"

"Completely zoned out." Yukiko agreed, "It was like you two were off on your own little planet."

"A-anyway…" Yosuke said hastily as he stood up, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his uniform. "Why don't we head down to Junes and see Teddie? I'm sure he has a pair of glasses for Yukiko-san as well."

"Oh… Good idea." Chie nodded, happy for the distraction. "Hurry up and finish your tofu, Yukiko. You're gonna love this."

**

* * *

**

"Were you able to find anything out?"

"Ah, yes… A young man in Inaba, sir."

"Inaba…? That's where they want to send Nao-chan to help assist the police department with the current murder investigations... Who is it?"

"His name is Souji Seta, seventeen-years-old. He is currently living at the same residence of Detective Ryotaro Dojima and his daughter. He is attending Yasogami High School as a second year student. His homeroom teacher, I believe, is one Kinshiro Morooka."

"Dojima? I wasn't aware he had a son, he's never mentioned him before."

"He doesn't, sir. Seta is his nephew. I believe his partner said that the young man in question would be staying with Dojima until the spring."

"His partner? Ah… Tohru Adachi, yes?"

"That's who I was able to speak to on the phone. Unlike the package delivered to Naoto-sama, the card given to me wasn't as carefully made. It was almost as if he _wanted_ to be known."

"Interesting… very interesting indeed. Why would a young man in another city go through all the trouble of getting Nao-chan such considerate gifts? It's quite obvious he knew what he was doing, as he carefully avoided leaving behind any evidence she might find on her own. Has he ever contacted her before?"

"Never. Not that I know of at the very least, sir… But Naoto-sama has always returned gifts and disposed of cards before now, so…"

"I'm quite sure she'd recognize something by this particular sender, otherwise."

"Indeed… It's abnormal, sir. I wonder if—Perhaps he's a fan, like he claimed in his card?"

"No… That can't be the case. As we've already agreed, Nao-chan has never accepted gifts before, no matter what the price or value. There is… something else at work here. Something special about this particular 'fan'—and she can feel it herself."

"_Special_, sir?"

"Special. But… we should let this be for now. I think this will be good for her in the long run. Something marvelous is going to happen."

"How can you be so sure, sir?"

"Ahaha, Yakushiji, my dear friend, it's nothing more than detective's intuition."

"Intuition… sir? Is that really wise? She is your granddaughter, after all."

"If I felt she were in danger, I would have never allowed her to keep the gifts, even if she were to become upset with me for disposing them. Now, let us depart for our meeting. We mustn't be late."

"Of course, sir."

"And, Yakushiji…"

"Sir?"

"What did I tell you about calling me 'sir'?"

"Ah…"

"Ashley. For one week."

"B-but, sir-!"

"Ah-ah-ah… We don't want to make it _two_ now, do we? It's such a _lovely_ middle name. I don't know why you don't use it."

"…Misanori-san?"

"Yes, Ashley?"

"…You're quite cruel."

"Cruel? Oh no, I just enjoy a good joke now and again—sometimes at the expense of others. If you prefer, I could use your first name. Wasn't it—"

"A-Ashley it is, then! Shall we be leaving now? I'll go prepare the car."

"Heheh… That has never once failed to work. I torment him far too much, but it is always in good fun. Although… I feel Nao-chan is starting to inherit my teasing streak. I do believe I should offer that poor man a raise…"

**

* * *

**

"The fourth and the fifth…" Dojima muttered from behind his newspaper, making Souji and Nanako turn to look at him curiously. "I should be able to get the fourth and the fifth off."

"R-really!" Nanako asked, looking excited.

Souji winced from across the table, watching as Nanako's excitement died almost immediately as she repeated in a sadder tone. "…Really?"

"Wh-what? You don't believe me?"

_Can you blame her?_ Souji thought sadly, knowing full well what was going to happen when Golden Week came around.

"It's always cancelled…" the young brunette sighed, looking at her juice box.

"N-Not every year…" Dojima protested, looking ashamed of himself. "I know you wanted to go to Junes, but I wouldn't mind going somewhere a little further."

"Really!" Nanako leapt to her feet and hurried over to Dojima, resting her hands on her father's knees as she leaned in close. "We can go on a trip! Really?"

"I-I don't see why not…" Dojima gulped, looking unsure of how to react. "I mean, everywhere will probably pretty crowded… but a trip isn't so bad once in a while."

"Yay!" Nanako turned around, rushing over to Souji and grabbing his hands as she continue to bounce up and down. "We're going on a trip!"

"Alright, alright… calm down." The detective laughed, a soft look in his eyes as he watched his daughter's happiness. "We'll need to think of where we want to go. Of course, you're coming with us, right Souji?"

"Oh! Please come!" Nanako pleaded, hugging Souji's arm tightly. "I want all of us to go together!"

"Y-yeah…" Souji smiled hesitantly, nodding. "I'll… make boxed lunches for us to eat during the trip."

"Yaaay! Boxed lunches!" the young girl cried in delight, clapping her hands together. "I can't wait!"

"Hahaha, good thing we have a cook in the house these days huh, Nannko?" Dojima grinned, clapping Souji on the back as he stood up. "Anyway, time to calm down and get ready for bed… Come on, simmer down now."

"Okay, okay…" Nanako smiled happily and almost pranced around the room, hugging both the older males tightly before running toward the hall.

"…I really hope this works out." Dojima sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'd… hate to let her down after seeing that."

"What happens happens, Uncle." Souji muttered, "We can only hope for the best, right?"

"…Ever the optimistic one, aren't you?"

The silverette laughed and stood up, nodding. "Got that right. Just call me 'Mr. Sunshine.'"

"Hahaha, right, right. Well, _Mr. Sunshine_, you should get to bed soon too."

"Yeah… I know. Will I see you in the morning?"

"You kiddin' me? I wouldn't miss that early-bird breakfast special of yours for anything. Nanako's been waking up for it too lately… It's really nice to be sharing a meal besides a Junes-sides dinner together."

"…Yeah, it is. See you in the morning." Souji said as he turned and walked up the stairs.

_So, Golden Week is just a few days away..._ Souji thought to himself as he entered the upstairs bathroom, grabbing a washcloth to clean his face. _Then it's back to school and exams shortly after that…_

The silverette's grip on the washcloth suddenly went rigid as he pulled it away from his face, gazing into the mirror. "Next month…" he trailed off, a warm feeling bubbling in his chest as he smiled; glancing toward the watch on his wrist he'd kept hidden under the sleeve of his uniform jacket. _That's right… in just over two weeks; Naoto will be in Inaba again._

"And this time… I won't let any chances go to waste."


	10. Golden Week

**So... yeah. This is actually a chapter. **I'm sure you're all thrilled that I'm _finally_ updating after disappearing and falling into... a coma. Yeah. That's why I didn't update. I was in a coma. A very busy college, con-filled, and anime-related coma. With pickles-EVIL PICKLES. 

But in all seriousness, this really is the next chapter, and my BETA has chapter ten in the works as well (again, if that one is super late, you should all go and troll him via private messages.) The writing is really old because the chapters have been done for a while and they just... didn't get BETA'd. The next two chapters are going to be pretty crappy, seeing as they are pretty much my work of almost a year ago, but after that things will get new and fresh and... yeah.

Enjoy and be sure to praise me. Or something. Honestly, I don't deserve much of anything after I made you all wait for so long, so please know I'm very sorry for the wait.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: **_**Golden Week**_

"Have you gathered everything you need, Naoto-sama?"

"Ah, yes. I've taken all my bags downstairs and set them in the hallway. My backpack come in the car with me; I'll be down as soon as I finish putting together a few last minute items I wish to keep on my person."

Yakushiji nodded as he turned to leave the room, pausing by Naoto's bedroom door as he glanced over his shoulder, "Have you completed your examination on the package you received, Naoto-sama? Or shall I retrieve it from your grandfather?"

"…No, there is no need to bring that along. If… if I haven't found anything by now, I doubt I'll suddenly come across in Inaba. Please have Grampa discard the box."

"Right away, Naoto-sama. I'll take everything to the car now. See you downstairs."

Waiting until the blond secretary shut the door behind him, Naoto quickly walked the length of her room to her bed where an open backpack sat with various objects—mostly small puzzles and books—placed inside. Opening the drawer of her bedside table, the sleuth produced the DVD box set which was put inside the bag without a second thought. The next item was pulled out much slower, delicately, almost as if made of glass.

"I wonder… Grampa said that it's possible I might find my secret admirer during my next collaboration. Could he have meant Inaba? I can't say for sure, but…" Raising the item to eye-level, Naoto carefully looked it over, searching for any obvious hints she might have missed before sighing in defeat. _I shouldn't waste my time with this. There is a much more important case at hand. No matter what curiosity tugs at me, I cannot allow a personal dilemma to get in the way of the job I'm about to take on._

"…I've already allowed myself to go to Inaba early to start my own personal investigation. I don't have time for this." Naoto turned back to the table and moved to put the book back into its drawer, pausing as she started blankly at the cover. With a frustrated sigh, it was carefully zipped into the large front pocket of the bag and it was snapped shut and slung over her shoulder. _I'm being foolish about this entire ordeal. I'm simply bringing the book for reading. Nothing more._

* * *

"Nanako!" Souji called as he walked into the living room, "I'm home."

"Oh… Welcome home." Nanako peered up at Souji from the table in the living room, tilting her head curiously at the bag he was carrying, "Huh…? What's that? Did you go shop—I-is that a Junes bag?"

"Oh, this?" The silverette held up the bag and nodded. "Yeah, I stopped by on the way home." _Today's the second. In a few hours Dojima will call... The least I can do right now is cheer her up while I can._ "Do you want to see what I got?"

"Yeah!" The brunette scrambled to her feet and quickly followed Souji into the kitchen, watching as the silverette began unpacking various foods and ingredients, putting them away in their various locations as he did.

"Is the bag empty now?" she asked as Souji sat at the larger table in the kitchen, frowning as she realized it was still heavy. "You forgot something…"

"Oh…?" The teen peered into the bag, smiling slightly as he shook his head. "No, it doesn't look like I did. I took out everything I bought to make boxed lunches for the week. Whatever is left must be yours."

"Wh-what? Really? Y-you got me something!"

"Of course," Souji smiled softly, ruffling Nanako's hair gently. "We're family, right? I wanted to get you something nice for Golden Week."

"Oh wow… Thank you, Souji!"

The faint sting the silverette felt when he heard his name rather than 'big bro' was short lived as Nanako threw her arms around his waist and hugged him as tightly her small body would allow. "I love Junes! Thank you!"

"N-no problem." Souji blushed, watching as Nanako ran into the living room to look inside the bag. _No matter how many times I have to live through this year, she never loses her adorable charm… _He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Nanako? I'm going to start dinner now, okay? I bought some ingredients for tonight, so you can watch TV."

"Really! Thank you!" Nanako cried happily, clutching the soft pumpkin-like plush doll she'd found in the bag to her chest. "What're you making?"

"Ah… just something small today, it's already pretty late. Riceballs, small side salads, and yakisoba. If there's time, I'll try and make strawberry shortcake for dessert." _If I can't make it today, I'll definitely make it tomorrow… I want to keep her happy right now._

By the time dinner was finished, the entire house had been filled with a pleasant aroma. Everywhere from the upstairs bathroom to the far corners of Dojima's room in back smelled like the fresh, sizzling yakisoba Souji was carefully moving onto plates to be served. The teen's bangs were damp from the thin layer of sweat that had formed from standing over the stove, and the relief that came with stepping away was not unwelcome.

"Nanako, could you please grab the riceballs and take them into the living room? I'll bring in the salad and drinks after I bring the soba in."

"I can get them," the brunette replied cheerfully, scooping the plate of rice up with ease and running it to the table before returning to open the fridge. "Do you want tea? I think dad keeps the leaves up in the cabinet, but…"

"Juice is just fine, Nanako." Souji smiled, "I'll have whatever you're having."

"Okay! I can take the salads in too." Slipping behind Souji, Nanako balanced the cans of juice in the crook of her elbow and grabbed the small bowls off the counter. "I already took the chopsticks in when I grabbed the riceballs, so it's all ready for you."

"Thank you, Nanako. Go sit down now… I'm bringing in the soba." The silver-haired teen smiled softly as he watched Nanako rush toward the table, nearly tripping over the pillow Dojima normally sat on in her excitement. _Is my cooking that good?_ He wondered absently as he set a plate in front of an ecstatic Nanako. _I guess I'm so used to eating my own meals that I wouldn't really know._

"Thank you for dinner." Nanako mumbled through a mouthful of noodles, her entire face shinning with happiness. "It's _really_ good."

"Heh, I'm glad. I'll be making dinner all this week too, so I hope I can keep up to your expectations."

"Y-you are?" the brunette looked at Souji in awe.

"Haha, I am. Since I can't do very much for Golden Week for you and your dad, I'll try and do as many of the small things I can do."

"Yaaay! A whole week of Souji's cooking! I can't wait!"

_Yeah, me neither._ The silverette sighed softly, glancing toward the TV where one of Nanako's favorite nighttime cartoons flashed across the screen. He reached for the remote, pausing as his finger lingered over the channel buttons.

"Nanako? Would you mind if I checked the news really quick?"

"The news…? Go ahead, I don't mind."

"—_Union ATM to the north of town today was destroyed today and all the cash inside was stolen. The vehicle found at the scene, abandoned, had been reported stolen earlier today by a local contractor. Since the culprit was able to act quickly before security guards could arrive on the scene, the police have..."_

"…Souji? Why is dad late?" Nanako asked, looking at the small clock in the corner of the news screen. "Didn't he say he'd be home early today?"

"He…" Souji trailed off as the phone began ringing behind him. Jumping to his feet, the teen rushed over to the phone, narrowly avoiding a collision with Nanako who'd risen at the same time he had. "S-sorry, Nanako. I wasn't looking—Hello, Dojima residence."

"…Souji? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. Nanako and I are just finishing up dinner." _Just as I thought, he's calling to let us know he can't come. _"Did you want to talk to Nanako?"

"Ah… no, that's alright. It's probably better you got to the phone first anyway. I, well, about the fourth and the fifth…"

Souji sighed softly, glancing toward Nanako who was watching him curiously. "…Something came up?"

"Y-yeah…" Dojima's voice was soft, an almost dead feeling to his tone. "One of the younger guys got sick and the case he was working on… Well, the higher-ups said we couldn't let it sit, so…"

"You won't be here?"

"…No. I'll be home late as well; I want to get as much of the case done as I can tonight so I'll be able to come home early next week."

"I see." _Just like before._ "I'll let Nanako know then…"

"…Yeah, thanks." Souji heard Dojima sigh heavily followed by the sound of papers being shuffled in the background. "Could you… comfort Nanako for me? I'll try and apologize myself the next time I see her, but I—dammit Adachi! Be careful! Set the coffee down before you spill all over the documents and we have to start over. …No I don't give a damn if you haven't gotten the cream yet! Set it down and _then_ get the cream! I—nevermind. Just sit. I said _SIT!"_

"Um, Uncle Dojima…? I-I'm, uh… going to let you go now, okay? Don't worry, I'll talk to Nanako. There's some yakisoba and riceballs for you in the fridge when you get home. I wrapped up the leftovers from dinner."

"Thanks, Souji… I'll talk to you later."

"Bye." Hanging up with a soft groan if disappointment, Souji turned, blinking in surprise as he noticed Nanako standing just a few inches from his face, a downtrodden look on her face.

"…Dad can't get those days off, can he?"

Souji bit his lip, not wanting to say yes. He felt awful, like there was _something_ he could have done to save Dojima from having to take the sick lower officers place… but in the end he knew he couldn't do anything. He didn't know which of the lower officers got sick, and even if he'd asked about the cases currently being investigated, he wouldn't have gotten an answer.

"…No." the teen finally muttered, stepping forward to rest a hand on Nanako's head gently. "Something came up at work, and they're making him replace someone who got sick. He's really upset about it. He sounded ready to cry on the phone." It was a lie, and a stupid one at that, but the silverette felt he needed to do _something_ to redeem his uncle. He knew perfectly well that the man was trying his hardest to raise his daughter—he just needed a nice push over the line he was too scared to cross.

"…That's okay." Nanako muttered, bowing her head. "It's alright… Dad's just doing his job, right? He's stopping the bad people… so it's okay if he can't come."

Despite her words, Souji could hear the tears that threatened to overflow. Quickly kneeling down, he cupped Nanako's face in his hands, raising his gaze to his own. "Hey… don't be sad. I promised, the next weekend he's home with us, we can all go to Junes together, okay? We'll get all sorts of ingredients and we'll make whatever you want for dinner together, alright?"

"…R-really?" The brunette hiccupped softly, rubbing her watering eyes.

"Really." Souji nodded, smiling softly. "I promise, okay? I haven't ever let you down before." _And I don't plan to start. If I'm going to relive this year, I'm going to make sure I do everything I can for everyone before I leave in the spring… no matter what. I'm not leaving with any regrets._ "So don't be sad... Come on, show me a smile."

Through her tears, a small smile crossed Nanako's lips as she nodded, rubbing her eyes. "Okay…"

"Good girl…" the silver-eyed teen muttered, pulling the young brunette into a warm hug. "It's getting late, so you should head to bed for the night. I'll lock up, okay? We'll do something fun tomorrow."

"Okay, G'night…"

"Sweet dreams, Nanako." Souji murmured as he watched his cousin slip into the hallway. _Tomorrow is the first day of Golden Week, and if things haven't changed too much… that means Chie will be here tomorrow morning. I should head to bed after myself after I lock up…_

* * *

Souji awoke early the next morning in a cold sweat, panting heavily as he look frantically around his dark room. Gulping, the silver-haired teen quickly slipped from his covers and crawled to the small couch in his room, not trusting his legs to hold his weight. His arms shook as he pulled himself into a sitting position on the soft cushions and a violent shiver ran down his spine.

"Th-that dream…" he muttered, wrapping his arms around himself tightly in an attempt to calm down. "Almost every night since I've gotten my memories back… that dream haunts me." Souji gulped, closing his eyes as he searched his mind for something to distract him from the scream that continued to ring in his ears as clearly as it had in the dream. _N-Naoto… I'm sorry. I'm… so sorry. I couldn't protect you… even after I promised that I…_

He shuddered again and shook his head as he stood up slowly. _N-no… I shouldn't think like that. This time… this time it will be different. I won't let her die. I'll do everything in my power to save as many lives as I can… I won't make the same mistakes. I can't._

Nodding to himself in silent resolve, Souji stepped shakily around the coffee table in his room and made his way toward the dresser. It took him longer than normal to dress and prepare himself for the day, his trembling hands making it difficult to pull on clothes and brush his teeth. When he finally finished the teen glanced at the clock to see it had taken him over an hour to do so. _And it's still barely six in the morning…_ he sighed and walked toward his door. _This can't be healthy… I haven't gotten a full night's sleep in over a week now. At this rate… I'll end up exhausting myself before I can change anything._

Souji slipped silently down the stairs and started toward the kitchen, glancing into the entrance way to see Dojima's shoes and coat were already gone. A sad look flickered across his features as he opened the fridge, looking for something to make for breakfast. _Looks like that case was a lot more important than I thought… I didn't even hear him wake up or move around. Does that mean… he was gone even before I was up…?_

"I wonder what Nanako would…" he trailed off, staring at something in the corner of the fridge.

A small circular container sat behind a carton of milk. The contents were white, although there was something about the colouring that unnerved the silverette as he picked it up, turning the container over to look through the transparent plastic. He blinked slowly and turned it back around, reading the label on the lid.

'_Organic Red Miso'_

Souji turned the container over again and stared at the white paste, his mouth hanging open slightly. His hand moved on its own accord and a bizarre aroma obscured his senses as the lid was suddenly removed and the container placed on the counter. In the back of his mind, a soft voice was muttering instructions to him that he wasn't convinced were particularly wise to listen to.

A spoon that he didn't remember picking up scooped a small portion of the "red" miso and was moving toward his mouth. Another voice suddenly filled his mind as it screamed for him to put the spoon down, but the other, more daring voice seemed to be winning and before Souji knew it the spoon had landed to the floor with a clattered and he was gulping greedily straight from the faucet.

…_I really need to stop doing that._ The teen thought as he dried his mouth and quickly disposed of the heavily expired miso. _Why on earth did I think it was going to taste any different than last time?_

Pushing the act of bravery—or was it stupidity?—to the side, he opened the fridge once more and began removing the items he'd need for a simple western style breakfast. _I remember Nanako liked omelets... normally she makes eggs and toast for breakfast, so maybe she'll enjoy a full western breakfast._

When Nanako woke up just over an hour later, the young brunette entered the living room to find eggs, bacon, toast, jam, butter, sliced fruit, milk, and juice waiting for her along with Souji, who was watching a news cast with feigned interest.

"Good morning, Nanako." The teen smiled, gesturing for her to sit down. "I finished everything a few minutes ago, but I think I was able to keep it warm enough to still taste good. I hope you like western-style food."

Nanako stared at the table, eyes wide, as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. Walking to the table slowly, she sat down and carefully looked over each dish in turn—it was obvious she wasn't convinced she was awake yet.

"Would you like butter, or jam?"

"H-huh…?"

"On your toast," Souji smiled. "Butter or jam? We only had strawberry and grape, but I'm sure we can grab some when we go to Junes."

"Wha…?" That appeared to wake the brunette up. "W-we're going to Junes!"

"Oh course." The teen nodded, reaching for the strawberry jam and hoping his memory served as well as he thought it did. "It's Golden Week after all, so let's have fun together. One of my friends should be here in a little bit to take us there… Ah, that is, if you wouldn't mind hanging out with us older kids." _Nanako is a brilliant girl, but she's still a child. I'm sure I can tell her that without her being able to figure out the truth. I can… always say it was just a magic trick._

"I-I can come? Really!"

"Why not? I can't just leave you home alone on a day like today."

"Oh…" Leaping from her seat, Nanako ran around the table and wrapped her arms around the sitting Souji's neck, smiling happily. "Thank you! You're the greatest cousin ever!"

"N-not really…" Souji muttered, stunned. "Now hurry back to your seat and eat up. We don't want all this food to go to waste by getting cold, do we?"

"Uh-uh! I want to try everything!"

"Heh… Don't eat too much now, you'll make yourself sick." _It's really easy to cheer a girl like Nanako up. I wouldn't say she's 'simple-minded', but she has that innocent aura and you can't help but want to spoil her… Dojima is going to kill me for all this later in life._

Breakfast passed cheerfully between the two. Souji's predictions on how much they'd eat were nearly perfect and very few leftovers remained. When they finished, they tossed what was left of the toast to birds in the yard and left the extra eggs for stray cats. The dishes had only taken a few minutes to wash, and just as Souji predicted, the doorbell rang shortly after they finished.

_Right on time…_ Souji thought, walking to the door followed by an excited Nanako. Unlocking the sliding wooden door, he opened his mouth to greet the martial artist he knew to be beyond it.

"Hey. Good after—Yukiko?"

"Good afternoon, Souji-kun." The raven smiled, peering around him to look down at the bubbly brunette behind him. "Oh! Is this Nanako-chan? I've heard about her from Chie and Yosuke-kun… You never told us how adorable she was."

Nanako blushed and hid behind Souji's legs, peering out at Yukiko from beside Souji's elbow.

"…'lo."

The silverette had to bite back a laugh, amused with the similarities the situation had with his arrival in Inaba. Stepping to the side, he knelt beside Nanako and urged her forward; taking care to keep behind her to avoid the same fist Dojima had gotten to the back. "Nanako, this is Yukiko Amagi. She's in the same class as me, and her family runs the big inn."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Nanako-chan." Yukiko smiled pleasantly, glancing between the two cousins. "Um… I came here to ask Souji-kun if he wanted to join us at Junes. Chie and Yosuke-kun are already there. They woke up early to get breakfast together at the shopping district since Yosuke-kun will be on the clock while we're there. Would you… like to come with us?" The raven glanced toward Souji, unsure if she had permission to invite the young girl out.

"Wow… He was right!" Nanako nodded, her small pigtails bobbing around with each dip of her head. "I want to come, I want to come!"

"Is that alright with you, Souji-kun?"

"Of course, just like I told you, right Nanako-chan?"

"Just like you… huh?" Yukiko blinked in surprise. "Did Chie already call you?"

"Ah…" The teen laughed nervously and shook his head, smiling awkwardly. "No… I, ah, told Nanako I'd take her to Junes with my friends today for Golden Week. It was a lucky guess on my part, really. Yosuke said he didn't have any plans on Friday and Chie said her family would be busy, so…"

"That makes sense," the raven nodded and stepped back, slipping her shoes back on. "Well, shall we be going then?"

* * *

"I can't believe you dragged Nanako-chan to a place like this on Golden Week…" Yosuke muttered as he collapsed into the chair next to Chie at the table everyone hard gathered around in the Junes food court. "Isn't this completely boring for a kid like her? You should have taken her someplace _fun._"

"Where else is there to go?" Chie asked, looking genuinely curious. "It isn't as if the shopping district is all that entertaining for kids, and there aren't any real playgrounds around here to play at. Junes is all we have besides the Amagi inn, and Yukiko is here… so going there would be pointless. Besides, if we went anywhere else…" the martial artist trailed off, blushing faintly as she mumbled something under her breath that Souji was sure sounded like 'I couldn't see you', and quickly changed the topic. "A-anyway… You don't mind, do you, Nanako-chan?"

"Uh-uh…" Nanako smiled happily, swinging her legs back and forth as she swayed to the loudspeaker music in her chair. "I _love_ Junes!"

"N-Nanako-chan…!" Yosuke beamed at Nanako from across the table, looking flattered. "Y-you do? That's great! I'm really glad. Feel free to stop by anytime you want, okay?"

Nanako nodded, an eager look on her face. "Yeah! I love Junes! I wish I could come everyday!"

"Wow…" the older brunette muttered, looking at Nanako in awe. "You know, we've been looking for a local spokesperson. I bet Nanako would be great for the job. How could anyone get upset with a cute little girl like her?"

"…I think we'd better wait on that one, partner." Souji muttered, holding back an amused smile. "Nanako is young, and I doubt my Uncle would allow her to work anywhere at her age. I'm sure someone will come along for the job."

"Someone better than Nanako? What are you suggesting? We throw someone out here in a suit as like, a mascot, or something?"

"…It could happen." _Give it a month or so and it __**will**__ happen._

"Haha, yeah right. Who'd want to wander around this place in a suit? The summers in Inaba are killer and no one would be willing to stand around in a walking heatsack."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Some people enjoy doing that kind of thing…"

"Whatever you say, Souji."

"Anyway, Nanako-chan, are you having fun? I know we're a lot older than you, so…" Yosuke trailed off, looking uneasy. "We're not boring you, right?"

"No… I'm having fun." Nanako smiled briefly before her shoulders slumped. "I love Junes, but we were supposed to go on a real trip. We were gonna make boxed lunches to take with us too…"

"Boxed lunches?" Yukiko repeated, looking impressed. "You can make boxed lunches, Nanako-chan?"

"No, Dad and I can't cook. Normally, we eat side dishes from Junes for dinner." She looked toward Souji, who coughed, blushing faintly as everyone stared at him. _I-is it really that surprising to see a guy who can cook?_

"Wow… Family cook, huh?" Chie grinned, "I was wondering why you never bought lunch at school. Pretty impressive, 'big bro'."

"I wouldn't call it _impressive_, I've been cooking my own meals since I was a kid."

"Big… bro…?" Nanako repeated softly, looking at Souji.

"Whoa… you can cook? Damn, I knew you were good with your hands and all but—" Yosuke trailed off, his face scrunching up as he realized what he'd just said. "…N-nevermind. Forget I said anything."

"H-hey! I'm a pretty good cook too, you know!" Chie protested, "I mean, I could make us lunch boxes easy as pie… Good ones, too! With… rice."

"…Rice?" Yosuke repeated skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you the one who panicked when I asked if we could make dinner together sometime?"

"I-I…" Chie gulped, looking nervous. "I just… work better alone, is all. I'm not good at cooking with a group. Yeah, I'm a solo artist!"

"Uh-huh…" the brunette male smirked, shaking his head slowly. "You know, you're getting awfully defensive, Chie. I never said I was a top-grade chef. Still, I can't help but feel… like my cooking is better anyway."

"Hey!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was." Yukiko laughed, watching Chie with an amused look. "I remember the last time she was in our kitchen—"

"Yukiko! Shush!" Chie cried, looking horrified. "I already told you that was an _accident!"_

"Well, if you're so confident… Why don't we have a cook off?" Yosuke grinned. "Nanako-chan can be our judge."

"H-hey… Yosuke." Souji cut in, knowing what was coming next. "Wait a…"

"Why wait?" the brunette asked, looking confused. "Come on, man. Obviously you can't enter. You'd beat us all hands down. Besides, I bet your cooking is right up there with her mom's. You'd be impossible to win against."

"I don't have a mom," Nanako said quietly, looking down at the table. "She died in an accident…"

Souji winced. This was what he'd been trying to avoid. The silverette could clearly recall the memory of his mother picking up the phone one day after he'd come home from school, and burst into tears as soon as she'd hung up. She had left for a week after that, saying that she needed to go visit her brother in Inaba. His father had explain to him what happened, but said that he'd be going with his mother and he was to stay with the neighbors until they got back. To this day, the silver-haired teen couldn't figure out why his parents hadn't just taken him with them, but he'd never gotten the right chance to ask.

"O-oh…" Yosuke's face fell as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glancing toward Souji apologetically.

"Hey, Yosuke," Chie hissed, kicking the brunette under the table. "Say something…"

"I'm... I'm sorry, Nanako-chan. I… I didn't know."

"U-um…" Nanako shook her head quickly, eyes wide as she tried to understand why everyone had suddenly gotten so upset. "It's okay… I don't have a mom anymore, but I have dad with me, so I'm okay." The color in Nanako's cheeks rose as she looked toward Souji, smiling brightly. "And now… I have a big brother too!"

Despite knowing it was coming, the effect it had on Souji hadn't been lessened at all. A gentle smile spread across his face as the small voice in the back of his mind cooed in delight. As an only child, he'd grown used to being alone, but he was none-the-less thrilled to hear Nanako call him her "big brother" again. _It's the simple things like this that you don't realize you'll miss until they're suddenly ripped away from you._

"Ahaha… Y-yeah." Yosuke nodded quickly, relieved by Nanako's forgiving nature. "This guy is pretty great, huh?"

"Uh-huh! He's the best! Be bought me a plushie yesterday for Golden Week! He said it was called a 'Pyro Jack' and he made dinner, too! His cooking is _really_ good!"

"That's great…" Yukiko said softly. "I bet he plays with you a lot as well."

"Yeah, he does! He reads for me every night before I go to bed, and he watches TV with me too!"

"That's really nice of him." Chie said, looking at Souji in admiration. "We'll play with you anytime you want too, okay, Nanako-chan?"

"Yes…" the raven nodded in agreement. "We should hang out more often. It'll be fun."

"Would you really?" Nanako asked. "You'll all play with me…?"

"Yeah! Anytime." Yosuke stood up, grinning. "Come on, let's go grab a soda, eh?"

"Okay!" The young brunette jumped down from her seat and started around the table to join Yosuke, pausing as she looked back at Souji. "Oh… Can I?"

The silver-haired teen nodded. "Sure, go right ahead. Make sure he gets you something nice and expensive."

Yosuke laughed nervously as Nanako nodded before joining the headphone-clad teen on his way to the concession stand.

"She's so strong, isn't she?" Yukiko sighed softly, watching Nanako's retreating back. "To think that a girl her age has gone through so much and can still smile as if nothing has happened…"

"Yeah… Talk about mature. She makes us look like the kiddies around here." Chie agreed, standing up. "Hey, Yukiko. Let's go get something for Nanako-chan, too. She'll need something to eat with that soda."

"Mmhmm." Yukiko nodded and stood up, quickly following after Chie as the martial artist left to join Yosuke at the counter.

"Hey! Big bro! Do you want something too?" Nanako called as she ran back toward the table, looking at Souji expectantly. "Let's share some tokoyaki together!"

"Ahaha, alright." Souji stood up and smiled, allowing Nanako to drag him back towards the concessions. "Come on , big bro! Hurry, hurry! Chie-san and Yukiko-san said they'd pay for it!"

* * *

The front door of the Dojima household rattled softly as it was carefully pushed open. Souji slipped into the entranceway and kicked off his shoes, pausing as Yosuke stepped in beside him.

"Here, turn around, I'll get her shoes." The brunette muttered, kneeling down to take off the Nanako's shoes, taking care not to wake up the slumbering girl. "She's completely out, huh? Good thing we were able to get her on your back before she passed out."

"Yeah. Thanks for the help, Yosuke."

"No problem, partner. Always glad to lend you a hand. Need anything else?"

"No, I'll be alright." Souji shook his head, and nodded towards the hallway. "I'm going to put her to bed and then get ready to sleep myself. I'm wiped…"

"Yeah, me too." Yosuke muttered, biting back a yawn. "So, I guess I'll see you Thursday then? Chie and I are going to Okina station for the day—though Yukiko-san said she might invite you and Nanako-chan to relax in the hot springs together for a day. Man, you really are a lucky bastard, aren't you? You're already winning the heart of the girl almost every guy in school wants."

"Ahaha, not really. We're just friends, Yosuke. I've already given my heart to someone precious to me… I wouldn't betray her for anything."

"Whoa… Don't get all serious on me, dude. I was just kidding. I doubt Yukiko-san would fall for anyone that quickly, even a guy like you—no offense."

"None taken, Yosuke. Just be careful. It's saying that sort of stuff that put that wall between you and Chie in the first place. You two did well in knocking it down, so don't build it back up, okay?"

"…You're the serious romantic type, huh?"

Souji laughed and started for the hallway. "I don't know if I'm the 'serious romantic'. I'm just the kind of guy who doesn't want to see something like what you two have go to waste over something small."

"…Dude, you really are something, you know that? Anyway, Sleep well."

"You too. Be careful on your way home."

"I always am. Later!"

* * *

A sleek black Acura pulled into the empty driveway of a two-story house in Inaba's residential district. It was a generously sized traditional Japanese-style home with a warm and humble appearance to it. The headlights shone brightly upon the small concert of the arched driveway before being shut off. A faint 'click' was heard in the quiet night as the driver's door was opened and the blond Shirogane secretary stepped out, glancing around the area once more making his way to the passenger side and opening the door to lean inside.

"Naoto-sama…" Yakushiji called softly, shaking the young Shirogane's shoulder lightly. "Naoto-sama, We've arrived in Inaba. If you'll go inside, I will bring your bags up to your room for you. A futon and your requested furnishings have already been moved inside."

"Mnngh…?" Naoto opened a bleary eye, blinking slowly as she gazed up at Yakushiji, dazed. "O-oh. We're here. I apologize, I didn't… I didn't mean to fall asleep in the car as I did. It seems I didn't get as much sleep last night as I thought."

"It's late, Naoto-sama. I can hardly blame you for falling asleep. I placed the book you were reading back in your bag when I stopped for gas. Here is your copy of the key, please head inside and head for your room. There should be a set of sleeping clothes on the bed for you."

"Ah… Thank you." The sleuth muttered, rubbing her eyes as she slipped from the vehicle slowly, still in a daze from having been woken up. "Please don't stress yourself over the larger bags. Just a single suitcase of clothes will do for the night. You must be tired as well… We'll worry about them in the morning."

"As you wish, Naoto-sama."

Nodding sleepily, the young Shirogane made her way around the car slowly, fumbling with her keys as she reached the door, fighting back a yawn. She slide the door open and left it as it was, hoping that it would be easier for Yakushiji to bring in the bags.

"Bed…" she mumbled, drifting toward the stairs on autopilot and down the hall.

Finding her room with ease, she slipped inside and shut the door behind her, dropping her bag into a large plush chair near the bookcase full of books that she was too tired to examine. Without bothering to turn the light on, she grabbed the neatly folded clothes from the end of the futon, making a mental note to ask Yakushiji who had prepared the house in the morning. Her clothes were left on the floor in a small pile as she climbed under the covers and settled in, too tired to worry about anything else.

"Inaba… This is where I'll be residing for perhaps the next year or longer. I haven't been put on the case officially yet, but I'll need to…" she yawned, allowing her eyes to slip shut. "I'll need to gather as much information as I can on my own."

Barely more than a minute later, the young detective was out like a night, allowing herself to succumb to world of sleep, vaguely curious if she'd see the faceless boy with light hair and wearing a dark uniform that had plagued her dreams for almost a week now.


	11. Return to Where We First Met

You know... part of me is starting to believe that no one really thinks I'm going to continue this story. -pout- that hurts, readers. It really does. I have been lacking in updates compared to when I started, though. So I guess I kinda deserve it. Fffft.

Ah, but really, I am gonna continue this. Don't worry. I want to finish this. I have a document about 15 pages long of notes for all the chapters and another document with one chapter already written, and a third with even MORE scenarios and notes. Gosh, so much to work with. Ahaha. I'm really hoping that I'll have more time for this now that I've finished all my Hetalia stories for now. I did come up with an idea for a Durarara! story (Shizaya, yes, I did jump that band wagon, but dammit, it's such an awesome bandwagon) and I really want to write that, but I'm going to try and focus my attention here for a few chapters before I even consider taking on two projects at once.

Problem is college. I leave for college around the twenty-seventh of this month. My plan after that is to try and write ONE chapter of each story every week. So that would mean each story would get updated every other week. Or possibly every week. Depending on how muchw writing I got done. No promises.

Anyway, here is the next chapter. I would like to say now that this one is dedicated to _**Flaros**_ who sent me a wonderful letter that put a warm feeling in my heart and brought a few tears to my eyes. It really made me feel special, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank him/her for such a kind and wonderful note. I really hope this chapter and all the rest bring you as much pleasure as your letter did me.

* * *

**Chapter ten: **Return to Where We First Met

"Good morning, big bro!" Nanako chirped happily as she skipped into the kitchen, beaming up at Souji as he carefully scooped what appeared to be miniature fried omelets into a small pink bento box. The young brunette eyed the bento curiously, looking up at the silver-haired teen in question. "What are you doing, big bro?"

"Making lunch," Souji said nonchalantly, setting the pan he was holding down and placing the lit on the bento. "Do you have a handkerchief you wrap this in, Nanako? Or do you just put it in your bag?"

"Um…" Nanako blushed slightly, looking embarrassed. "I… don't know. I haven't had bento lunch since I was really small. My mom used to make them for me all the time, but…"

The silverette winced, wondering if what he'd hoped would be a kind gesture had been a bad idea after all. He turned away from the counter and looked over the piles of various possessions on the kitchen table, spotting a small pink cloth sticking out from a large stack of books. _I didn't expect it to be far from the kitchen… Dojima doesn't seem the type to toss something like that without a good reason._

Nanako watched in silence as Souji carefully pulled the small handkerchief from the mess and tie it around the lunchbox before holding it out to her, smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry, Nanako. I'm not trying to take your mom's place, believe me. I just… noticed that you never seemed to take your lunch with you, and I thought you might like something other than cafeteria food."

To his relief, the brunette smiled and took the lunch box with a nod, running to her backpack to put it inside. "Thank you, big bro! I've never had a lunch made by you before."

_Well, as long as she__'s happy…_ Souji thought, turning back to the counter to pack the leftovers for his own lunch. "Let me know if you like everything, okay? I can make you lunch anytime you want—breakfast is ready, by the way. I've already eaten since I'm leaving early. I left yours on the living room table. Will you be alright walking to school alone today?"

"Uh-huh…" Nanako replied, eagerly approaching the table to see what meal awaited her. "I'll be okay. Have a good day, big bro."

* * *

"Yo! Souji!" Yosuke called, waving as he ran up the main road of the residential district. "Sorry I'm late, man. My bike was giving me grief this morning…" The brunette sighed in frustration, looking bitter. "I just fixed the damn thing, and it barely made it down the road before the chain snapped on me."

"You really should get a new one," Souji said, smiling sympathetically. "You're going to end up seriously hurting yourself."

"Ahaha, I doubt that. I'm the indestructible type."

_It wouldn__'t surprise me…_ "Have you ever thought about asking for a new one?" the silver-haired teen asked as the two started down the road toward Yasogami. "I mean, as a Christmas or birthday present—you could ask your whole family to pitch in."

"Nah…" Yosuke shook his head with a sigh, looking vaguely disappointed. "I try to avoid asking for stuff like that. It always ends up with me owing someone a favor I can't repay or spending more money than I can afford. Besides, I'll have enough money for a motorcycle someday. I'll just have to worry about getting a license after that."

_A motorcycle__…_ Souji shuddered. No matter how long or hard he thought about it, the idea of Yosuke on a bike of any form gave him an uneasy feeling. The last thing he wanted was a call from a hospital telling him that the brunette had broken half his bones in a way that shouldn't even be humanly possible from crashing into something like a pole or trashcan. _…Maybe I should offer to look at it sometime. I'm sure there's a book somewhere about fixing bikes._

"Hey… Earth so Souji! You listening, dude?"

"Huh?" Souji blinked, turning his gaze to meet Yosuke. "Sorry, did you say something?"

"I said I was sorry for saying those things to Nanako-chan yesterday…" the brunette said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "And then I asked if something happened between Chie and Yukiko."

"Don't worry about it, Yosuke." Souji said, placing a reassuring hand on Yosuke's shoulder. "She's a strong girl, and she wasn't upset in the slightest. Besides, how could you have known?"

"But still, I…"

"Forget it, Yosuke. What do you think happened between Chie and Yukiko?"

"Huh? Oh, that. Well…" Yosuke trailed off, frowning as he stared off into the distance. "I dunno… They just seem… different around each other. I mean, they were close before and everything. It just seems like they've really gotten a lot closer lately. I'm not saying that's bad, I just didn't think it was possible for two friends as close as them to get any closer than they already were."

"A lot has happen lately, Yosuke." Souji said, pausing as they reached Yasogami's front doors. "All the barriers those two put between each other—intentionally or not—have suddenly been knocked down. I think it's natural they'd get closer. Why? Don't tell me you're _jealous._"

"Wh-what!" Yosuke growled, pushing past Souji as he entered the building. "Like hell I'm jealous! I knew what the reason was! I just… wanted to see if you noticed it to! Come on, we're gonna be late!"

_Oh yeah,_ Souji thought, mildly amused as he followed Yosuke up the stairs, _he's jealous._

* * *

"Uuungh…" Chie groaned loudly, slumming over her desk as the final bell rang. Students ran for the door, all looking worse for wear as the hurried to leave the building. Needless to say, no one was ready to be back in school or to listen to the lectures the day after holidays. "I really hate school…"

"Hear hear." Yosuke muttered, stretching as he stood up. "I thought I was gonna fall asleep."

"Yosuke, you _did_ fall asleep," the martial artist frowned. "And I'm not giving you my notes this time."

"I'd rather borrow Yukiko-san's or Souji's. They actually _listen_ to the lectures."

"You know, Yosuke, you don't really have any ground to stand on when you say that." Souji chuckled, earning a betrayed look from the brunette. "I mean no offense… but you could both use better listening skills—at least when it comes to teachers."

"They could use lessons in being more interesting." Yosuke said simply, crossing his arms as he stood near Souji's desk. "If they weren't so dull, I wouldn't fall asleep."

"You wouldn't fall asleep if you didn't put your head down."

"Whose side are you on, _partner!"_

"Switzerland."

"You—Huh?" Yosuke frowned, his eyebrows furrowing together in a questioning gaze. "You're what now…?"

"I'm Switzerland," Souji repeated with a small grin.

"I heard what you _said_. But you're not blond and you don't have a little sister—well, you have Nanako-chan, I guess—but, I wanted to know what you—"

"It means he's neutral," Yukiko explained, "and that he doesn't take sides with anyone. What does being blond or having a sister have to do with it?"

"Everything," Yosuke muttered as he turned back to Souji and feigned an injured look. "…Traitor. You're… so cruel."

"How can I be a traitor if I don't take sides to begin with? I'm a mediator. The Geneva Convention and all that."

Yosuke mouthed wordlessly as he stared at Souji, blinking owlishly as he tried to think of a comeback.

"Wow..." Yukiko turned to Souji, looking impressed. "That's a great analogy, Souji-kun.

"…I don't get it." Chie mumbled, peering up at the others with one eye. "Anyway, we _all_ wish the holidays had gone on longer, but there's no use in complaining now, right?"

"Well, yeah… it doesn't exactly help me out if he isn't willing to share his notes."

"Well, hopefully, you've learned something from this, Yosuke. Don't sleep in class."

Yosuke gave Chie a half-hearted glare and dropped back into his seat, looking offended. "Yeah? Well then, don't expect _my_ help if _you_ ever fall asleep in class. Maybe _you'll_ learn a lesson."

"Aww, you wouldn't do that to me, would you, Yosuke?" the martial artist pouted, leaning over the back of Souji's chair as she moved closer to Yosuke. "You wouldn't leave me hanging, right?"

"W-well, uh…" Yosuke sputtered, blushing faintly as he quickly looked away, leaning his chair back several inches. "O-okay, maybe I'd help… Maybe."

"Heheh," Chie grinned, leaning back. "Good boy."

Raising a slender eyebrow, Souji shook his head, giving Yosuke an amused looked. "…Whipped."

"Wha-! Shut up!" the brunette growled, blushing furiously. "I am not."

"Sure you're not," the silverette muttered. "Not at all."

Jealousy bubbled in the pit of the silver-haired teen's stomach as he watched Chie slip into the desk beside Yosuke, her eyes dancing in amusement. The female brunette wrapped an arm around the male's shoulders, pulling him into a one-armed hug as she proceeded to tease him about just how 'whipped' he was.

Noticing the faraway look in Souji's eyes, Yukiko moved from her own desk to sit at Chie's fixing the silverette with a concerned look. "Are you okay, Souji-kun?"

"Huh?" Snapping out of his daze, Souji turned to the raven, looking somewhat confused. "Oh, y-yeah. I was… just thinking about someone."

"Do you mean that girl you were telling me about? The one who can't…"

"Remember me, yeah." He nodded quietly, forcing his gaze away from the two brunettes. "It isn't a big deal."

"I'm sure she's fine, wherever she is," Yukiko said reassuringly, "You just have to have faith, that's all. I'm sure things will work out."

"…One can hope so, at the very least." Souji sighed, staring dully at the random pencil marks on his desk. _I can hope all I want, but it won't change anything. She won't remember me, and I can't be sure that she'll want anything to do with me this time around._

"She loves you, doesn't she?"

"She loves me in the memories she doesn't have, but more-or-less, yes."

"Well then, I think she'll find you," Yukiko smiled, pressing her hands together. "That's part of love in the first place, isn't it? Believing in the bond that the two of you share."

"…I never really thought about it that way." Souji muttered, surprised at just how wise Yukiko sounded. _She's right. For right now, all I can do is trust the bond we once shared and hope it's strong enough to reform, even without past memories._

"Are you two finished?" Chie cut in, looking between Yukiko and Souji suspiciously. "You know, you two get along awfully well for two kids who just met."

Souji shrugged as Yukiko flushed in embarrassment, the raven fixing Chie with a weak glare. "We were just passing the time until you two were done. Anyway, even if it isn't the most pleasant thing to be back in school, at least the holiday was relaxing, right?"

"He does have a point." Yosuke said thoughtfully, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. "There was no news about weird stuff happening and no sudden disappearances. It didn't rain, so it wasn't like we could check the Midnight Channel to be sure, but I doubt we'd have seen anything even if we did. Do you guys think Yukiko-san was the last victim?"

"I dunno…" Chie muttered, taking her bag as Yukiko handed it to her and stretched. "It seems like it, though."

"I doubt she'll be the last," Souji sighed, knowing full well just how true his statement was. "Until we can be sure, we can't afford to let out guard down. We have to prepare for the worst and always assume there's one more until we can be sure there isn't."

"Souji-kun is right," Yukiko nodded, looking serious. "I don't think we can afford to let out guard down right now. I'd like to believe that I was the last one to be taken in, but…"

"There's just no telling until we give it more time." Yosuke finished with a sigh. "Murderers just don't make it easy for the ones after them, do they?"

"No use fretting over it now," Chie shrugged, "I mean, if someone shows up on the Midnight Channel again, we'll take care of it. I know it's supposed to start raining again soon, but I hope the weather holds at least until the end of next week. That's when midterms start."

"You just had to bring that up, didn't you?" The brunette male groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I don't even want to _think_ about midterms."

"Avoiding them won't make them disappear. I do wish I had Yukiko's gift for studying, though. I might actually have a chance at passing all of them." Pausing, the martial artist looked thoughtful as she glanced between the now depressed Yosuke and Yukiko. "Hey, Yosuke, why not ask Yukiko to go over the study material with you? It might help you out. Souji's probably busy with his own studying and taking care of Nanako-chan, so…"

_Not really__,_ Souji thought, raising an eyebrow in question as Yosuke's head jerked up, suddenly looking much happier than he had before. _…Yosuke wouldn't really say __**that**__ again, would he? Not when he has a girlfriend, he'd be careful with his words, right?_

"Huh… that's not a bad idea. Yukiko-san has always ranked at the top of every exam. It might not be a bad idea to ask for some private lessons."

"P-private lessons?" Yukiko repeated incredulously, looking shocked.

Without thinking, Souji jumped from his seat, quickly moving out of the way as Yukiko stepped forward and raised her hand.

"Huh? Y-Yukiko-san? What's wro—_**ouch!"**_ The brunette held his cheek in shock, gaping at the raven teen. "Wh-what was that for! Do you smack everyone who asks you to help them study!"

"O-oh! You… meant studying?" Yukiko repeated, looking surprised. "I-I'm sorry, I thought it was an off-color joke and you were… Sorry, the inn has had some very strange visitors lately."

"If you thought it was a _joke,_ why didn't you laugh!" Yosuke cried, rubbing his slowly reddening cheek. "You didn't have to hit me..."

"My hand just moved without thinking. I'm sorry, Yosuke-kun…"

"Moved without thinking… Geez. Why do I feel like I've heard that one before?"

"You're the one who made it sound creepy." Chie frowned in disapproval, "_Private lessons,_huh? No wonder she took it the wrong way."

"Wha…! You're saying this is _my_ fault! Why would I even make a joke like that? I don't _need_ private lessons like those! I already have a girl I love, and I'm sure as hell not going to take advantage of…" the brunette trailed off, looking embarrassed as his words caught up with him. "U-um. A-anyway… M-maybe I'll get help from my dad or… something…"

"Yosuke…" Chie's face flushed pink, leaning closer to place a gentle kiss upon Yosuke's wounded cheek, causing both of them to blush even worse.

"I think," Souji muttered quietly, looking thoughtful, "I actually feel my teeth rotting from all this sweet affection."

"Argh! I told you to shut up, dude!"

"Um…" Yukiko raised a hand hesitantly, uneasy about stepped between, what appeared to be, a fight. "W-why don't we all go to the library after school together for the remainder of this week and study together? I'm sure we'd all get much more done if we could all help each other, and if we're in the library, we won't be able to get distracted."

"That's not a bad idea," Souji said thoughtfully, "I agree, the library would be easiest for all of us and we'd get the most work done."

"Ugh… Extra hours in school?" Yosuke groaned, "That's all I need."

"Oh, stop whining!" Chie said, giving the brunette a scolding look. "Those two are offering to help us, and I say we take it. It's not like our study skills would do us any good. Take the gifts you're given, right?"

"…Since when is studying a gift?"

"Just get your butt to the library already! Stop complaining!"

* * *

Souji smiled as he handed his paper back to Morooka, who seemed to scowl much more deeply than usual. The exam had been a piece of cake, he _had_ taken it before, but the review in the library with everyone else had made it even easier. Leaning back in his chair to savor his feeling of accomplishment, the silverette listened in on the others as they talked about their own exams. He laughed inwardly at Yosuke's visible relief, Chie's obvious worry, and Yukiko's air of silent pride that matched his own. _Some things never change,_ thought Souji to himself as Yosuke began to preach loudly about his intense relief.

"It's over! It's _finally_ over!" Yosuke cried in delight, leaping from his desk as the final bell rang signaling the end of the last day of exams. "I feel light and wonderful… This is sort of feeling every student needs when exams are done! I feel like I could—"

"Shut _up…_" Chie growled, fixing the brunette with a tired glare. "It's great that you're off in happy-land, but I can't hear anything when you're shouting like that. Sheesh. Anyway, what did you get for number seven, Yukiko? You know, the one that was referring to 'that' in the sentence."

"Um… I'm think it was 'her sorrowful expression', wasn't it, Souji-kun?"

"Hm?" Souji blinked, tearing his gaze from Yosuke's amusing offended sputters and turned to the raven. "Oh, um… Yeah… I'm pretty sure I put the same thing. I didn't commit any of the questions to memory, but it sounds about right."

"Oh man…" Chie groaned, "I put 'the rice cakes on the table.'"

"Rice cakes…?" Yukiko repeated, looking confused, "They mentioned rice cakes in the story?"

"Towards the end," Souji muttered, grabbing Yosuke by the collar and forcing him back into his chair, successfully stopping the brunette's distracting hopping movements. "I think she ate a few of them."

"Oh… Still, I don't think that was the answer."

"Ugh!" the martial artist let out a groan and slumped forward on her desk. "Alright… I've given up composition. Obviously, I failed. I'll bet it all on geography! So, like, what's the tallest mountain in the solar system?"

"Olympus Mons," Yosuke answered before Souji or Yukiko could even open their mouths. "It's a volcano on Mars."

"What the…? _Yosuke?_"

"I put that one too," Yukiko smiled, "Wow, Yosuke-kun! That's amazing! How hard have you been studying?"

"He's been with my every night," Souji said, a faint tone of pride in his voice as he gestured to the brunette. "After we'd leave the library, he'd come home with me and we'd have another study session up in my room."

"S-study session!" Chie repeated, turning to look at Yosuke, "You didn't tell me about any study sessions! You told me you were working at Junes this week!"

"I… that… well…" Yosuke hesitated, bowing his head slightly in shame. "I… it was the only excuse I could use! If I said I was at Souji's then you would have asked to join us and I never would have gotten any studying done."

"What's that supposed to mean!"

"He means you're distracting." Souji said, reaching for his schoolbag.

"Wha… _Distracting!_ Yosuke Hanamura-!"

"W-wait!" the brunette cried, stumbling backward as he narrowly avoided a sharp kick from Chie. "It's not what it sounds like! Geez, man… Did you have to word it like that!"

"I think that was a compliment, Chie," Yukiko murmured, "What Souji-kun meant was that Yosuke-kun would have much rather been spending time with you than studying, so he kept it quiet to discipline himself."

"Y-Yes! That's right! Yukiko-san's right! Stop trying to kill me already!" Yosuke shouted, wincing as Chie's knee stopped just short of his stomach. "I-I just didn't want to distract mysel! I figured if I disappeared you'd go to Yukiko-san and she'd pull you into one of her study sessions."

"Yeah, well, she didn't! How was I supposed to… Wait, what?" Chie blinked slowly, a dark blush slowly spreading across her cheeks. "Y-you'd pay more attention to, um…"

"Well… yeah," Yosuke nodded, and Souji could of sworn he heard the brunette mutter, 'I mean, I'd take you over books any day.'

"Let's not ruin their private moment." Souji said, slipping around the front of his desk.

"Good idea." Yukiko nodded, following Souji out of the classroom. "They've been having a lot of those lately."

"Well, better this than another violent spat, hm? Why don't we wait by the gate?"

"That sounds fine," the raven smiled. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you about, anyway."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Well, I'm trying out a new recipe, and Yosuke-kun said you were a good chef, so I thought you might know a good kind of cheese I could use with this dish, um, here." Yukiko reached into her bag, producing an index card as she held it out to Souji. "I didn't want to ask the cooks, or else they'd try to just cook it for me."

Souji took the card and read it over, carefully looking at each ingredient in turn before finally speaking. "Well, gouda would work alright, but aged brie would give it a very unique flavor, as well."

"Really?" Yukiko blinked in surprise, pulling a small cookbook from her bag. "I never thought of that. What about…"

* * *

"Nanako, I'm ho—oumgh!" The moment Souji opened the door, he was nearly thrown back again as a pink and brown blur slammed into him, hugging his stomach tightly.

"Welcome home, big bro!"

"Th-thanks…" the silverette muttered, sounding winded as he bent over slightly, returning Nanako's overzealous hug in a much gentler fashion. "That was… some welcome."

"I wanted to surprise you!" the brunette smiled, "Dad said when you're catching criminals you need to have the 'element of surprise,' so I wanted to work on mine!"

"Is… that so?" Souji asked, following Nanako into the living room once his waist had finally been released. "Well, you're doing a really good job, Nanako. I didn't expect that at all." He rubbed his stomach, hoping to emphasis his point, and sighed softly in relief when his cousin smiled in delight.

"Oh! I forgot…" Nanako's smile suddenly doubled as she ran back over to Souji, grabbing his arm and swinging it back and forth with enthusiasm. "Dad is coming home early today! He said he didn't have to work late tonight!"

"That's great!" Souji smiled, watching as Nanako scurried off toward the kitchen, most likely intend on making dinner by herself that night.

Shaking his head, the silverette sat down quietly at the table, reaching for the remote to turn on the news. In the upper right corner of the screen, the date and a small icon indicating the weather were displayed for viewers just turning in, and he found himself smiling once more. _If I remember correctly, today's the day Kanji will appear on the news…_

"Hey everyone, I'm home."

Souji jumped, his head jerking toward the couch where Dojima was fixing him with a questioning look as he took a seat. He winced, glancing nervously toward Nanako who was also looking at him, her head tilted to the side just slightly.

"Um, sorry. I was… off in my own little world."

_"…recklessly riding their motorcycles, disturbing the peace of…"_

Souji turned sharply, his gaze focused intently on the TV as the reporter began speaking. The picture on the screen was focused on a male reporter, but the scene quickly changed to an outdoor setting of a group of laughing punk teens with their bikes. They were quickly blocked from the screen as a boy with bleach blond hair ran toward the camera, his face slightly blurred from the poor attempt at identity protection.

_"The hell are you punks doing here! This ain't a show! Get bent!"_

"That voice…" Dojima muttered from the couch, his eyes knitting together behind his newspaper.

"Kanji…"

"What?"

Souji winced again, that was twice now in less than five minutes that he'd slipped, the relief from seeing his friend momentarily making him forget that he was in the living room with his uncle and cousin.

"How do you know Kanji Tatsumi?"

"School." Souji said quickly, silently trying to assure himself that it wasn't completely a lie.

"What?" Dojima looked surprised, setting his newspaper to the side, "He's been going to class?"

"Uh, well…" The silverette shagged and smiled weakly. "I'm not sure. I just know him through the rumors, but he doesn't seem like that bad of a kid."

Ryotaro nodded, looking faintly grim. "He _isn't_ a bad kid, but we've had a lot of trouble with him. Apparently, he took out the entire gang of bikers today because the noise they'd been causing was keeping his mother up at night. The gesture is nice, but…"

Souji chuckled softly, shaking his head. "There are better ways of going about doing it, right? Although, it's nice to see how much he seems to care about his mother's happiness."

"Yes, well…" the detective sighed heavily, reaching for his paper, "At his rate, his mother is going to have to apologize again. I thought he'd finally stopped when he enrolled in a high school, but…"

"You know him, dad?" Nanako piped up, looking between Souji and Dojima curiously. "I've seen him outside one of the stores before when I was going to Junes. He helped me when I tripped."

"Did he? I'll have to remember to thank him." Dojima leaned back, turning to the next page of the paper. "Anyway, his family runs a historical textile shop in the shopping district. It's a small place, but it's fairly popular for a place like this, so it holds a steady business."

"The weather report is on the bottom of the screen…" Nanako muttered, looking at the TV. "It's going to rain tomorrow."

"Oh? I'll help you with the laundry when I get home then." Souji said as he stood up, "I'm going to go to bed early tonight, I have some things I need to do tomorrow, so I'll need the energy."

"Oh, okay. Goodnight, big bro."

"Sleep well." Dojima added quickly as Souji started toward the stairs.

* * *

Souji rubbed his eyes, moaning softly to himself as he crawled sluggishly from his futon. He had been awoken by yet another nightmare, the same scream that had his dreams since the night he arrived still echoing in his mind. Yet he was used to that now, unlike other things.

_Having all your memories has its advantages, but there are some things I__'d much rather forget_, Souji thought dully as he began to get dressed. Since he had regained his memories, the identity of the scream clawed at the back of his mind, not at all helping his levels of stress, but the scream was the least of his current of his problems for the time being.

The silhouette of Kanji Tatsumi's familiar appearance on the Midnight Channel was a big wasn't something he could easily turn away from. He had been forced to feign cluelessness when Yosuke had called on the second night of Kanji's appearance to discuss what they should do. He was confident that he'd be able to save Kanji without trouble; the knowledge that he could call back Persona from his first year was comfort enough for that. He could remember the weakness of almost all the large Shadows, and he could use that to his advantage. He was a lucky man—or so his teammates seemed to believe—and that was enough for him, for now.

Thankfully, the phone call had ended rather quickly after a brief interrogation from the brunette demanding to know if anything happened between himself and Yukiko. When he answered, Souji had an uneasy feeling that Chie listened in on a third line, muted, and awaiting whatever response he gave, but he honestly assured his friend that he harbored no romantic feelings for Yukiko or Chie, and the conversation was left at that.

The meeting at Junes yesterday before the phone call, however, had proven to be quiet difficult. Feigning innocence in person was much harder than doing the same on the phone.

_**~Being Flashback~**_

_"Are you alright, partner?" Yosuke asked as he returned with a tray of drinks for the small group sitting at the Junes Food Court. "You really look like complete shit." _

_"Huh?" Souji blinked, looking up at Yosuke as he was pulled out of his daze. "O-Oh. Uh, yeah… I'm fine. Don't worry… It's just… lag. I'm still adjusting from the city-life to the country."_

_"Still? But it's been over a month," Chie said, concern easily recognizable in her tone. "Are you sure you're okay?" _

_"Yeah. I've just… been having a hard time sleeping lately, that's all. There's a lot on my mind these days." Souji smiled weakly. _

_**~End Flashback~**_

Of course, Souji couldn't help but feel bad. He knew what was coming, but he couldn't help but feeling slightly amused at the idea of how they'd all react to Kanji's dungeon. Yosuke's reaction to the sauna had been near hysterical the first time he'd seen it, though he didn't openly admit it for fear of pissing the brunette off. He wasn't willing to pass up his friend's reaction a second time—cruel or not. There were many things he planned to change, but some of the events, while it would be kinder on his part to give some warning to, were simply too good to pass up.

Adjusting the collar of his deep green blazer, Souji smiled in satisfaction as he looked at himself in the mirror. He was, as Dojima had pointed out with an amused smirk last Sunday, a "stud"—and a "good looking" one at that. At the very least, he looked respectable, and that had been his goal. Today they would be meeting Kanji's mother, for all intensive purposes, for the first time and as her question about Kanji. It was simple enough, and after that they'd run into Kanji himself, and…

Realization hit him like a ton of bricks and the smile quickly fell from his face.

_Naoto will be there._

The feeling of confidence the silverette had managed to work up was gone, replaced with a nervous, almost frightened feeling. What would he do when he saw Naoto? Would he be able to speak with her? Even if he could, what could he say? He had _failed_ her, he'd _let_ her die. He'd been careless; he should have tried harder to catch the murderer. His eyes fluttered close and the scream filled his mind once more, causing him open them immediately.

How on earth would he be able to apologize to her? He _should _apologize. He _should_ get down on his hands and knees, just to beg for her forgiveness and the grace of her returned friendship—but how could he? It was going to be near impossible for be forgiven for something that, as far as anyone beside himself was concerned, never happened.

Regret and self-revulsion swirled in Souji's stomach and quickly rose to his throat. The silverette shut his eyes, inhaling sharply as he held back the tears that threatened to overflow. He couldn't do anything about it now, and it was the only comfort, if it could be called that, that kept Souji from collapsing on the spot. As far as Naoto was concerned, Souji was just some teenager who happened to walk into the same shop as she had. As it was, he would have to be careful enough around her. It was easier to cover up slips around his friends who would easily trust anything he said. The last thing he needed was the person he knew would be watching his every move for anything suspicious and taking note of it—he really didn't want to end up being taken in as a suspect for murder.

Shaking his head, Souji took a deep breath and slipped from his room, silently assuring himself that everything would be alright. He left his room and hurried down the stairs, turning sharply as he reached the bottom and headed toward the door.

"Big bro?"

Souji froze, his foot halfway into his right shoe as he reached for the left. He gulped and inhaled slowly, speaking carefully as he made sure to speak in an even tone. "...Yes, Nanako?"

He turned slowly, slipping his other shoe on and winced. Something tugged sharply at the silverette's chest as he gazed at the obvious look of worry his cousin was giving him.

"Are... you okay?"

"I'm... fine, Nanako." Souji smiled, but he was surprised to see her shaking her head.

"You're not fine, Big Bro," insisted Nanako, her eyes glistening softly.

Since Souji arrived, the young brunette always seemed to have a newfound ability to know when he was feeling upset or distress. He had always taken this small token of open affection from Nanako as a sign that their bond was once more growing as strong as it used to be, but he'd allowed himself to forget just how intuitive the young girl was for her age.

Sighing, Souji slowly made his way out of the entryway of the house and knelt down in front of Nanako, pulling the young brunette into a tight hug that she returned almost immediately.

"I'm really okay, Nanako. I have a lot on my mind right now, but this is something I can't really talk about. I can't even really explain it to you clearly, because I'm not sure I understand it completely myself. But I just know I have to take care of this on my own."

"But…"

"Thank you, Nanako…" Souji smiled as he pulled away, offering his cousin a soft smile. "Your concern is more than enough for me. Just knowing you're worried helps a lot."

"Really…?" Nanako asked, her eyes brightening slightly as the silverette nodded.

"Really. I have to go now, okay? I'm meeting my friends downtown."

"Okay." the brunette nodded slowly, taking a step back as Souji started toward the door again.

"Hey, I'll bring something home from Junes, okay? We'll make dinner together…"

"Really?" Almost immediately the worry on Nanako's face vanished as she nodded enthuasiastically. "It's a promise! Have a good day, big bro."

"You too, Nanako."

* * *

"So… this is the textile shop, huh?" Souji asked as he stared up at the building he could only remember being in a few times before. It was a shame really, the shop was lovely and welcoming. It had a homey feeling to it that most shops in the city didn't have.

"Man, it's really nice, isn't it?" Yosuke said, standing beside Souji. "It almost feels… welcoming. Junes always feels so… I dunno, but this… it's almost as if they're letting you right into your home."

"Most of the shops in the district are like this, it's really nice." Yukiko said, gesturing to the store in front of them. "And, in a sense, you're right, Yosuke-kun. A lot of the shops around here have homes built into them, and the owners live in back or on the upper level."

"No kidding," the brunette looked faintly surprised. "I couldn't imagine living at Junes. That'd suck…"

"Well, you gotta admit, you'd have pretty much everything you'd need for living." Chie grinned, "You'd never run out of food or clothes… It'd be pretty interesting."

"Yeah, maybe for a week." Yosuke muttered, "After that, it'd just be… weird."

"Who knows. Why don't you camp out there for a week and let us know; you guys have an outdoors section, right? Everything is already set up for you."

"Shut up!"

"Ahaha! What? Running away from a challe—huh?" The martial artist stopped, looking toward the front of the shop as they entered. "Hey… who's that boy in the suit? He doesn't look like he's from around here at all."

"Heh, looks like Inaba's gotten another city boy." Yosuke grinned, speaking in a low tone. "Gotta admit though, he's pretty short for a boy, eh Sou—huh? D-dude?"

"It's alright; you've given me more than enough to think about for now." The young teen in blue was saying to the owner of the shop, "Thank you for your—augh!"

His body had reacted before his mind could tell him it was a bad idea. Before Souji could so much as blink, he pushed past Yosuke and the others and pulled the now very confused, and very flustered, blue-clad teen into a tight, almost desperate hug. His mind was completely blank, unable to comprehend any coherent thoughts. She was here. She was in his arms once more, and that's all he was able to care about for that brief moment. "Naoto…"

Naoto froze completely, her eyes widening slightly as her gaze shifted from where it had been rather unceremoniously forced toward the ceiling to glance at the side of the silverette's head. The teen's voice, whoever he was, was filled with an unknown and almost pitiful amount of pain and regret, yet at the same time, it held a tone of affection and a gentleness tied to an emotion that she felt as if she should know, but couldn't remember where she'd felt it before.

As if on autopilot, the arms that had been stiffly hanging at Naoto's sides rose and wrapped themselves tightly around Souji's shoulders, her hands clutching at his jacket, her face slowly descending to bury itself against his chest. A name, more title than anything else, flashed across her mind, eliminating her fear, anxiety, and doubt and replacing it with a foreign, yet familiar, warmth.

…_Senpai?_

Then, just as suddenly as she'd hugged him, she removed her arms. Shocked at her own careless and unexplainable actions, she tugged weakly against the silverette's hold, wanting to break free, but at the same time, something in the back of her mind shouted at her to stay still.

"U-um…" Naoto finally spoke, sounding uneasy. "E-excuse me? W-while I'm sure it is a pleasure to meet you, as well… It is normal for one to offer a bow or nod of the head. O-or perhaps a handshake if you enjoy contact with another, but… P-Please let go of me. _Now_."

The word "now" worked like an electric shock and he pulled away, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment. "I, uh… "

_Shit,_ Souji cursed silently, panic rising in his throat as his mind went into a frenzy trying to find an excuse for what he'd just done. He had slipped—badly—and in front of the only person, aside from his uncle, who could probably piece together a reasonable explanation to land him in a jail cell for some form of "assault".

"I'm… sorry about that," he began slowly, his eyes moving around the shop nervously, looking at everything but her. "I, um, well… I'm… a fan." It was lame, it was bad, and it was an obvious lie, but it was all he had. For a moment, he had thought Naoto might honestly draw her revolver on him, but her ever-vigilant nature of taking almost everything slowly and rationally shone through, and Souji had never been more grateful for her overly formal attitude.

"That's fine… I, ah, assumed you were. But, if you would, please, refrain from such… overzealous greetings should we bump into each other again…" Naoto was blushing furiously, head bowed as she tried to pull her cap further other her eyes. "N-now, if you'll excuse me, I…"

Souji never heard the dark-haired female finish as she darted out of the store, turning sharply and sprinted as fast as she could into the nearby alleyway. The rest of the group had taken to staring at Souji in shock, their eyes wide and faces curious. The silverette cleared his throat, shifting his weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Lying to Naoto had been easier than he thought, not that he had enjoyed it by any means, but he couldn't think of a single excuse to give his friends.

"Uh, that was…" Souji began, but the explanation he tried to form died in his throat with a disappointing wheeze.

"Dude…" Yosuke muttered, finally snapping out of his daze. "That—Look man, we're friends, okay? Best buds. But don't come any closer to me."

"What?" Souji blinked, frowning as he looked at the brunette. "What are you—"

"I didn't know you were, you know, like… that."

"Like _what?_"

"Yosuke!" shouted Chie angrily, her fist contacting Yosuke's skull so hard that it threw him forward a good two feet.

"O-Ow! Chie! You didn't have to hit me so hard!" The brunette whimpered softly, running the back of his head gingerly as he gave the martial artist a wounded look.

"It's his choice, isn't it!" Chie snapped, glaring, "You're as low as they get if you suddenly run away over something stupid like that. But still… I didn't expect that from someone like you, Souji. What _was_ that?"

"Uh, w-well…" Souji sighed. It had worked with Naoto, he might as well run with it. "Sh—Uh, he, Naoto, that is, Naoto Shirogane, is a famous teen detective and, I've been follow he—him… for a while now. So, I, uh… didn't expect to see _him_ here." Now that he heard himself explain it, it sounded even lamer than when he had said it to Naoto's face. _I'm an idiot._

"Oooh…" Chie nodded, "So you got really excited when you saw your favorite celebrity. I guess I can understand that. I might do the same thing if I ran into someone from one of my kung-fu movies."

"So… Hey, dude, can I ask you something?"

"What?" Souji sighed heavily and turned to Yosuke, looking uneasy. Whatever Yosuke was about to say, it was either going to embarrass him, or get himself smacked again. "You mentioned that you had a girlfriend before. Are you sure it was _really_ a gir—OW! CHIE!"

"Yosuke Hanamura, I swear if you don't leave him alone, I'll give you a kick that'll make the one I gave you for breaking my DVD feel like a pat on the shoulder!"

"It wasn't a pat, and it _definitely _wasn't on the damn shoulder!"

"Well then, we're at an agreement. Drop. It."

"Fine! Fine! I'll drop it!" Yosuke cried in alarm, narrowing avoiding Chie's knee as it aimed for his chest. "I said I'll drop it, sheesh…"

"_Anyway_," Chie said loudly, glaring at Yosuke, "we're here for a reason, right? We're supposed to be talking to Mrs. Tatsumi and Yukiko… Huh? Yukiko? Hello? Are you okay?"

"H-huh?" Yukiko blinked and turned towards Chie, looking slightly disoriented as she was pulled out of her own little world.. "O-oh! Um, yes… we… Um… What were we talking about?"

"Of for the love of… You have got to be kidding me."

"Is she okay?" Yosuke asked, stepping forward to get a better look at Yukiko. "She's been zoned out ever since Souji hugged that guy."

"She's _fine,_" Chie sighed, looking torn between annoyance and amusement. "Can we please just do what we came here for now?"

"Huh…"

"What now, Yukiko…?"

"The quiet transfer student and the out-of-town detective, caught in a spiral of forbidden love..." The raven sighed heavily, a far-away look in her eyes as she smiled to herself.

"Ugh… Fine. FINE. I'll just ask her myself!"

As Chie stepped forward to talk to a very bewildered Mrs. Tatsumi, Yosuke approached Souji from the side, a faint look of guilt on his face. "H-hey, dude, about all that earlier, I'm sorry. Chie is right, I shouldn't have…"

"It's fine," Souji muttered, waving his hand through the air. "Doesn't matter. I doubt this is the last I'll hear of it anyway."

"Nope!" Yosuke grinned, and winked, clapping the silverette on the shoulder. "With information like this, I gotta tease you. It's what friends _do._"

"Uh-huh…" Souji rolled his eyes, giving the brunette an amused look. "Whatever you say, _partner._"

The brunette winced; coughing nervously as he quickly looked away. "You know... I'm kind of second-guessing that title of yours now."

"…You're an ass."

"Yeah, well, you're friends with this 'ass'," Yosuke laughed, "And we both know you could dig up something to hold over my head in a week's time."

"Perhaps," Souji couldn't help but smile as he turned away from Yosuke, a malicious glint in his eyes. _Just wait until the Culture Fest, Yosuke. I'll have my revenge yet._

* * *

Outside in the alleyway, Naoto leaned against the wall, panting heavily as she clutched her chest. Her eyes were wide and alert, darting all over as if expecting the silver-haired boy who hugged her to suddenly materialize and try to do it again. She gulped and tried to force herself to calm down, but her mind was going haywire as it tried to properly process the swirling mass of thoughts that had suddenly filled it, forcing her to whisper harshly to herself just to make sense of everything.

"I… I just hugged… but, I've never seen that boy before in my life. We just met! That was irrational, stupid, and childish! What on earth was I thinking? No… I wasn't thinking, I… Wh-what could have possibly lead me to believe that…"

"_Naoto…"_

Souji's soft voice echoed in her head, and the blush she'd finally managed to fight down returned in full. Inhaling sharply, the young detective shut her eyes and gave herself a firm shake. _Wh-whatever that was, I won't allow it to happen again. I can't explain what happened in there at all! It's frustrating, but… No. I'm not here to think about fans. I need to focus on the case; on the murders. I need to…_

Naoto's thoughts trailed off as she glanced sideways and spotted the very person she'd come to speak with in the first place across the street. She quickly shoved whatever remained of her wild thoughts to the side and straightened herself, brushing the dust from her clothing and assuring herself that the hug meant nothing. But as she left the alleyway, a single thought bubbled back up at the back of her mind, clawing violently at her concentration and nearly sending her right back into the alleyway. _Why did he do it and… Why? Why did it feel so… __**right**__?_


	12. Longing of the Heart

Another chapter completed! Woohoo! Stuff finally starts happening here and Souji actually makes changes. Yay changes! Everyone loves changes. It's been a while since I last updated, but I'm starting to get in the habit of writing again. College is pretty time-consuming, especially German, but I'm figuring out good habits. Which is awesome. Hopefully my updates won't be quite so far apart from now on. This chapter was fifteen pages long though, so hopefully that'll make up for my lack of updating recently.

**But in other news...**

**_HOW ABOUT THAT PERSONA ANIME?_**

Was it awesome, or was it AWESOME? I loved it. I even walked around in my Yasogami uniform to celebrate. I kid you not. It's a pretty comfortable uniform too. But damn. I seriously can't wait to see more of this. It was just... I can't even. Thursdays will officially be my favourite day of the week for a while.

That aside, I've reopening my Persona forum and I also have an "Ask Naoto" tumblr under "FortunesRevolver." Feel free to stop by and ask Naoto questions. I check that daily and answer as many as I can-sometimes with pictures. I really love it. The forum is realm-of-shadows[dot]proboards[dot]com. I'm the Naoto there as well.

Um... That's about it. Enjoy the next chapter, everyone! Half of this chapter was written a long time ago and the other half more recently, so here's hoping you can actually notice how my writing changed. I did a lot of editing, but I'm hoping this chapter shows a lot of improvement compared to the others. Let me know if I've improved since the first chapter, okay? Thank you to everyone for reading!

**EDIT! Line added, also, breaks have been fixed.  
**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: **_Longing of the Heart_

"So, everyone is set with the plan, right?" Yosuke asked as the small investigation squad gathered outside the school gates, "We'll split into two groups. One will follow Kanji and the kid; the other two will watch the Textile shop. Are we good?"

"Affirmative!" Chie nodded, peering around the gate. "The target arrived at school this morning, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am!" The brunette grinned, glancing toward the front of the school. "Visual-ID was confirmed this morning near the end of his mess break with mother-issued rations in hand."

"…Aren't they going a little overboard?" Yukiko muttered softly, glancing toward Souji as she was forced to take a half-step back when Chie moved suddenly and shifted closer to Yosuke to better see the front of the school.

"Shh." Souji snorted, shaking his head. "Just let them have their fun."

"Current status," Yosuke continued, leaning against the gate, "in the bathroom; fixing his hair."

"His hair?" Yukiko asked, bewildered, "Did something happen to it?"

"…Don't ask." Souji murmured, looking faintly amused. "He's just nervous."

"I wonder what sort of plans those two made, though…" the inn-keeper muttered, looking thoughtful. "It didn't appear as if Kanji-kun knew that boy very well when we watched them talking outside the shop."

"Naoto wanted to know something; he was investigating."

"Know something?" Chie repeated, finally tearing her gaze from the school. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Souji paused, unsure of what to say. Ever since he'd hugged the detective in the Textile Shop, the subject of Naoto had been somewhat sensitive. The silverette couldn't even mention her name without Yosuke immediately looking at him with an all-too-knowing smile that made him nervous. As oblivious as the brunette seemed to be, there were times when he seemed to notice a little too much. "Naoto is a detective, right? Maybe Kanji knows something he wants to know." _Rather, something __**she**__ wants to know._

"I guess it's possible, but what could Kanji-kun know that—Oh!" The martial artist turned, her attention focused on something moving toward them. "Here he comes!"

True to Chie's words, the bleach blond 'street punk' was making his way out of the school and down the walkway toward the entrance gates. His hands twitched nervously at his sides as he glanced around, almost as if expecting something to suddenly jump out at him and attack. He stopped several yards ahead of the small group and paused, looking up and down the road. Not more than a few minutes had passed before a figure clad in a navy blue pea-coat and deep aqua-green pants approached the nervous first-year and wasted no time in speaking. "I didn't keep you waiting long, I hope?"

Jumping, Kanji's head snapped up, barely able to hold a gaze as his eyes shifted around nervously, glancing at the road every few seconds as if he considered making a run for it. "N-No, I, uh…" he gulped, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I just, uh, got here too, N-Naoto…?"

The ending of the sleuth's name came out with an incline, a silent question if using first names was alright. Had his group not been trying so hard to go unnoticed, Souji would have laughed. Kanji was just as nervous around Naoto as he'd always remembered. The only word he could think of to describe it was "cute." Just looking at the two of them, visually, they would have made an adorable couple: the tough-as-nails punk and a prim-and-proper detective. As adorable as the idea had started, Souji's lips soon twisted into a faint scowl and something in his stomach writhed violently. A voice in the back of his mind hissed _"mine"_ and he had to fight the sudden urge to step forward and throw his entire weight behind a well-aimed right-hook. The sudden violent urge of jealousy surprised him, but it was quickly suppressed. He knew better. Acting out now would risk more than just his chances of ever regaining any semblance of what he had with Naoto before as well as possibly change the investigation. Besides, he would never jeopardize his future friendship with Kanji, either - he had a good heart under that tough exterior, after all.

"I see…" Naoto finally muttered, completely oblivious to Kanji's question. "Well then, shall we be going?"

Before Kanji could give her so much as a sputter in response, the detective had already turned and started to walk away. Even though it was his second time seeing it, Souji couldn't help but chuckle. After having seen Naoto change so much over the course of the year that had (technically) not happened anymore and come to understand why it was she did all the things she did, it was amusing. Yet at the same time, the investigation squad leader was unable to stop the faint sense of sorrow that plagued the back of his mind. The Naoto that had walked off was so different from the one he'd grown so close to. However, in the end it didn't really matter; both Naoto's were part of the same whole that made up _his_ Naoto, and no matter what, he was determined to see it through that they had a chance again - even if it was simply as friends. As long as she was safe, as long as he didn't mess things up this time, and as long as they caught the culprit, he would be happy.

It had taken Kanji nearly a full minute to realize that his companion had left him behind. His mouth opened in flabbergasted shock, working wordlessly until he finally managed a strangled cry of "Wh-wait up!" before darting down the street and after the sleuth.

"What in the world was _that?_" Yosuke muttered with a frown as he watched the couple away, a look of discomfort on his face. "You don't think those two are…?"

"_No_, I don't." Souji cut Yosuke off sharply, fixing the brunette with a firm glare. "Anyway, I think Yosuke and Chie should team up together."

"H-huh?" Yosuke sputtered, blushing furiously. "W-why would you-!"

"Oh, I agree!" Yukiko said with a smile, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "They'd be able to use their relationship as the perfect cover!"

"Yukiko!" Chie cried, looking embarrassed. "Y-You can't just-!"

"I guess that settles it then." The silver-haired teen grinned as he turned away from the school and started walking. Behind him, Yukiko giggled and hurried after, giving the two 'lovers' a quiet wave and smile over the shoulder as he continued to speak. "You two will follow Kanji and we'll keep an eye on the textile shop."

"Will you wait a minute!" Yosuke cried, his eyes wide as he looked from Chie to the pair currently walking away from them. "You can't just assign us a task like that and walk away!"

"We just did," Souji smirked, a triumphant tone to his voice as he watched the effects of his minor revenge. "Yukiko, shall we?"

"Oh! Yes. I'd like to say hello to Kanji-kun's mother while we're there."

"Sure, why not?"

"Wh… Souji! Yukiko!"

"See you two later. Good luck."

"Argh! Partner! You're such a traitor!"

* * *

A loud yawn escaped Souji's lips as he adjusted himself against the red pillar outside of Naganaki Shrine, arching his back forward and extending his arms in a long stretch. Nearly fifteen minutes had passed since Yukiko had gone inside the Textile Shop to speak with Kanji's mother, and while the silverette didn't mind in the slightest, it did leave him with very little to do. It was a dull experience, and he was almost disappointed that the wait wasn't as suspenseful as it had been the last time he'd lived through it, but he couldn't find a reason within himself to complain. The calm moments he had to himself were something that he liked to take advantage of when given. Within a few months, everything would be coming together and he'd have to face the challenge of figuring out the killer once more. Still, the knowledge of knowing his past actions was handy; it allowed him a slight amount of wiggle room to, at the very least, have some fun.

He _was_ a lot braver and more charming than the first time he'd come to Inaba, after all.

"Sorry that took so long," a voice called, tugging Souji from his thoughts. "Kanji-kun's mother and I ended up talking much longer than I thought we would." Yukiko smiled apologetically as she extended her arm, offering the male a small can. "Here, I bought us some juice to make up for it—you like the strawberry-kiwi fusion, right?"

"Ah, I do. Thank you." Souji smiled and took the offered drink, opening it before taking a sip. "You didn't have to buy anything, though. I left my wallet at home though. I can pay you back once we're finished, if that's alright."

"Pay me back?" Yukiko laughed and shook her head, "There's no need for that, Souji-kun. It was only some juice. Keeping me company is more than enough. I just hope that things stay as calm at the shop as they are right now."

"I'm sure the shop will be fine," Souji said, using the most reassuring tone he could manage. "I don't believe his mother will be touched at all." It was an awkward way of phrasing what he wanted to say, but for all the lies he knew he would have to tell, the least he could do was offer a few truths. Even if he could only present them as simple comforts.

"No?" The inn-keeper's tone was relieved as she glanced at the shop and sipped her juice quietly, "Do you really think the culprit won't come?"

"Even if he does, I'll protect you," the silverette smiled. "Chie would never forgive me if something happened to you. Besides, you're an important friend."

A faint blush powdered Yukiko's cheeks as the tenseness in her shoulders finally faded away and she turned back to the textile shop. Souji's words were comforting; had she heard them from anyone else, she was fairly sure that she would have held onto lingering doubts. There was just _something_ about him that put her at ease, it was as if he radiated an aura of assurance that said _'__I__'__m here now, and I__'__m going to make everything better again, don__'__t worry.__'_

"Ahaha, is that so?" she smiled, holding her can up in a toast. "Well then, I'll be counting on you, Souji-kun. But if the culprit does show up, I'll do all I can to help you catch them. Everyone risked their lives to save me; I don't want to be the only one doing nothing… I want to help you all as much as I can."

"Don't worry so much," Souji said kindly, placing a gentle hand on Yukiko's shoulder. "You're more helpful than you give yourself credit for. We're all glad to have you working with us in the investigation now—especially Chie."

"I-is she?" the inn-keeper's eyes widened in surprise as she turned to face the other fully. "But… she can manage almost anything on her own. Why would she want me so close to the battlefield? She's… always protecting me. Wouldn't it be easier if I were…" she trailed off, watching as Souji shook his head.

"Chie worries about you, that much is true," he paused, taking a sip of his drink, "but she's thrilled to have you on the team. It's normal to worry about the people we care for, but she's much happier to be fighting by your side than knowing you're standing alone on the sidelines. All she wants is the best for you and can't wait to see you grow stronger. Isn't it the same for you?"

"Y-yes, I guess it is…" the young woman nodded quietly, a thoughtful look on her face. "I never thought about it that way, Souji-kun. Thank you."

"I'm just here to help," the male responded kindly as he returned his gaze to the street. _To help and make things right again, and make sure you__'__re all happy before I have to go home_.

* * *

"Oh, dammit! He's coming!" Yosuke cried as he and Chie hid behind a tree, concealing themselves from their mark. One of them had accidentally made a noise, and as expected, the bleach-blond punk had heard it. Assuming that someone had been spying on him, he'd started toward the noise. Meanwhile, Yosuke tried to form a plan in his frantic mind, but Kanji was getting closer and closer to the pair, an angry look on his face. In desperation, the brunette decided to do the one thing he was absolutely certain the bleach-blond wouldn't deem suspicious.

"Yosuke, what are you do—mmmph?" Chie squeaked into Yosuke's lips as they met hers, the kiss taking her completely off-guard. Luckily for him, instead of going for a punch like the brunette expected, she returned the kiss with enthusiasm, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him even closer.

"Damn, get a frickin' room, you two. Geez…" Kanji's gruff voice jerked them out of their thoughts as he watched the two with a faint blush of his own. Whatever anger that had been building up was quickly lost and the blond walked away, sighing loudly.

Hesitantly, Yosuke pulled himself away from Chie with a gasp, a hot blush creeping into his cheeks. "Uh, I guess I should apologize, huh?" he said sheepishly, looking away from her in embarrassment.

"...You didn't want to kiss me?" Chie asked, cupping Yosuke's cheek as she turned the brunette's face back toward her own. The thought hurt, but she knew better. The other had never been the most talented with words, but his intentions were good—not to mention it made him easy to tease.

"I... I-I didn't say-"

"Then shut up," interrupted the kung-fu artist as she pulled him into a nearby bush.

"Whoa!" Yosuke yelped as he disappeared after her into the foliage, only to have the soft lips meet his once again.

"You're late," Souji said quietly, a small frown tugging at his lips. "What happ—" he paused, blinking owlishly as he leaned forward to get a better look at the male brunette now standing in front of Yukiko and him. "Yosuke… you have leaves in your hair."

"Wha…? Seriously?" Yosuke reached up quickly, running his fingers through the brunette locks, cursing as he removed the offending leaves and twig that had gotten stuck there. "Crap…"

"Did something happen?" Yukiko asked, tilting her head as she glanced at Chie, only to start giggling. "Chie! You're blushing. That's so cute."

"Wh-what? I'm not cute! I just…" Chie's mouth moved silently as the words she tried to say died in her throat.

"You both realize we're still on the job, right?" Souji asked with a smirk, looking from Yosuke to Chie and back again. He didn't really mind that the two of them had experienced an unexpected tender moment together. But as their friend, it was his responsibility to tease them for it all the same.

"Geez, cut me some slack!" shouted Yosuke, glancing at Chie in desperation. "It's not like we weren't tailing him! C'mon, Chie! Back me up here!"

"W-well, yeah, we were!" nodded Chie, who couldn't seem to look anyone in the eye. "But… He was almost onto us, and Yosuke had an idea…" She kicked a pebble lightly with her foot, holding her hands behind her back. "And then one thing lead to another, and… uh, well, s-sorry…" she finished weakly, bowing meekly to Souji in apology.

The silverette chuckled softly, shaking his head in amusement. "I swear, I don't know what to expect from you two. One minute you're at each others' throats and the next you're-"

"At each other's lips?" suggested Yukiko, holding in her laughter as Souji's grin widened in response.

"That's mean!" squealed Chie, her cheeks flooding with a brilliant flush.

Yosuke only gaped at Yukiko, entirely lost for words - a rarity for someone who had something to say about almost everything. It only took Souji and Yukiko losing their composure and laughing out loud for him to find his voice again. "W-well, you're the one who hugged a guy!"

Souji's laughter died, his gaze icy. "...We'll leave my personal choices out of this, thank you very much."

"Ouch... Scary." Yosuke muttered, but still looked pleased with himself nonetheless.

"You haven't seen anything yet, _partner_."

The brunette took a step back, his face contorted with worry. "...Maybe we should change 'partner' into something less suggestive?"

"Oh, stop being such a homophobe!" Chie exclaimed, smacking Yosuke on the back of the head. "Geez, way to kill the mood…"

Souji decided it was safest to return the conversation back to the business at hand before even more violence began. "So does this mean... you didn't find out anything?"

Guilt returned to Yosuke's face as he looked away from Souji, ashamed. "…Not a thing."

"Sorry…" mumbled Chie sadly.

"Don't sweat it," said Souji, patting them both on the shoulder. "We can always try again tomorrow; keep an eye on the Midnight Channel, just in case."

"Good idea," smiled Yosuke, relieved that his friend wasn't more upset with him.

"It isn't that bad," Yukiko said with a thoughtful smile, her eyes shining happily as she gazed at Chie. "I don't think the day was really a total loss."

"I agree," Souji smirked as Yosuke's and Chie's faces flushed once more. "Now, who's up for a snack? Personally, I'm hungry and that meat-stand over there smells delicious."

* * *

Souji swore under his breath as he turned on his heel and walked briskly away from the automatic lobby doors of Junes. The past hour had been spent with him walking to and away from the door, trying to get inside and speak with the young sleuth he knew would be waiting by the elevators. Alas, the only progress he'd managed to make that morning was having left the house fully clothed—though even that had taken three attempts. The first time he'd forgotten his pants, the second he'd managed to not only forget his shoes, but his socks as well, and the third time he managed to successfully trip over the threshold and fall face-first onto the hard cement ground. Fortunately, Nanako had been kind enough to help him bandage his chin, which was still quite sore. Needless to say, the day had not been going very well for him, and it didn't appear as if it would be picking up any time soon.

The investigation squad had met briefly at Junes to speak with each other about their "game plan" (as it had been dubbed by Yosuke), before branching out to gather information on Kanji Tatsumi. His stealthy disappearance had still left Souji baffled at the circumstances, but there was nothing else to do but pursue the leads he found previously. Of course, for Souji, this meant that he had a decent amount of free time. If information on Kanji was what Teddie needed, then the silverette could provide it easily, even without sharing details that had been shared with him which were meant to be kept secret. Still, he had to make it _look_ like he'd spent time acquiring it, as there were only so many lies he could tell before his friends were likely to get suspicious. For now, he'd simply need to start with asking Naoto, just as he had before.

As he approached the doors once more, he stopped and sighed as the familiar 'whoosh' of the motor activating filled his ears and a burst of warm air from inside rushed out and over him. Groaning, Souji turned around, prepared to walk away yet again, when the sound of someone clearing their throat loudly stopped him in his tracks.

"...Might I inquire as to your reason for attempting to ruin the door's motor?" Naoto asked as she stood in the doorway, a slender hand resting on her hip as she spoke. "I'm quite certain the Junes staff won't be pleased if they are forced to replace the mechanism because you couldn't make a choice between stepping in or out."

Laughing softly, Souji turned around and flashed the sleuth a faint smile. "It wasn't intentional. Ah, actually, I was hoping I might speak with you, but… I didn't want to disturb you if you had other things to do."

Naoto raised a skeptical eyebrow, giving the other a calculating gaze from under the rim of her cap. There was no questioning the fact that this man, whoever he was, had known she would be here. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered to linger outside the store for as long as he had. It didn't make sense, yet he didn't appear to be threatening or dangerous by any means. Strange seemed a better word to describe him, but the mystery that was his reasoning for doing all this had managed to make the detective's curious enough to make her take a step forward.

"If you wish to speak with me, I suggest you step inside first. The lobby is empty, and we're less likely to be overheard… and I'm sure the doors aren't meant to stay open this long."

Nodding, Souji followed her inside, preparing himself for the onslaught of questions he was sure would follow. He'd already nearly compromised his entire situation with the stunt he pulled in the textile shop. He couldn't afford to mess up this time. "Thank you," he began, "I'll get right to the point, then. I wanted to speak to you about Kanji Tatsumi."

"Kanji Tatsumi?" Naoto blinked, masking her surprise at the question. The action did not go unnoticed by Souji, and he couldn't help but feel a faint rush of pride as he did so. It had been so hard to surprise her before, but the faint, almost nonexistent, hitching of her breathe gave her away. "And why would you come to me for information such as that?"

"Well," he paused, thinking over the question carefully. "My friends and I are working the murder case, you see… A friend of ours lost someone very dear to him, and we want to do what we can to see the killer brought to justice."

"I see, that's… unfortunate." The raven-haired girl's slight discomfort was easy for Souji to sense. He'd come to know her habits so well before. The slight shift of her shoulders, the faint flutter of eyelashes, and attempt to stand a little taller. Offering gentle sympathy on a social level had never been one of her strong points, not in the beginning at the very least. "I'm sorry to hear that, but forgive me in saying this, I'm finding it hard to believe that you're working on the murders. I've met the entire investigation team myself, and I don't recall anyone mentioning that there were others working on the case, let alone a group close to my own age." She frowned. "Though… I suppose even the police force can't keep track of all the 'free-lancers.' I will ask again… Why have you come to me? Why not ask your uncle, Souji Seta?"

Most of what Naoto had said was expected; distant and cold, calculating and avoiding direct answers. Working her words in a way that would gather information without offering too much of her own. Still, the last few sentences had thrown him off. She'd hadn't known that information before, not this early, and the minor panic that had come with her statement had managed to show itself on his face because she'd spoken again before he could ask; "I don't often get hugged without warning by complete strangers. It was easy to find information, you're… a very distinctive person."

"Ahaha, r-right," Souji forced a smile and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry about that, I really am. I got a little over-excited."

"So it seems." Naoto replied, her tone dry, "If you'd please answer me…"

"I know you do your homework, Naoto-kun," he began to explain. Beating around the bush was never something the other liked. It frustrated her, and right now, it was only best to give her what she wanted. It was his only chance of getting in. "Someone with your skill and experience would naturally do the same. However, if I told you the truth…" he hesitated, biting his lip. "I'm fairly certain you wouldn't believe me." It wasn't as if he believed that she would laugh at him, but he didn't want to be under her infamous scorn.

"Is it not fair to offer new information in exchange for receiving it?"

"Heh, I guess so…" Souji smiled nervously and slipped his hands into his pockets, "Guess it's only fair… I'll let you judge the information before agreeing to an exchange."

"Oh?" The sceptical look melted off Naoto's face into one of curiosity. It wasn't often that someone offered her something so easily; most people would attempt to 'butter her up' beforehand. "I didn't expect you to be so willing. Why the sudden generosity?"

"Why?" The silverette fell silent, looking outside as he wondered about the answer himself. Without thinking, he answered with the first thing that came to his mind. "I'm… I've been given a chance to repeat the past."

"I'm sorry?" The detective's eyebrows knit together, unsure of what to think. This had certainly been something she'd never been told before, but regardless of how it was phrased; the irrationality of what Souji was claiming couldn't be missed. Gesturing to one of the plush chairs in the lobby, she sat down in the one across from it. "I'm not sure I understand."

"Ah, thank you," Souji murmured as he sat down, smiling in understanding. "It sounds insane, I know. It's hard to explain, but… I've been given a chance to change my past. To fix… to fix something that went horribly wrong. The reason I was so compelled to hug you when we met then was… well…" he gulped, feeling a faint heat rise in his cheeks. "We were, ah, close."

"Close," she repeated, trying to detect some sort of lie, hesitance, or anything that might imply he was fooling her in his tone, but nothing was there. It made Naoto uncomfortable. She had always had a talent for noticing lies, or at the very least some sort of odd wording that would lead her to question further, but Souji's tone was perfect. The only odd thing she could sense was how nervous he was. He was just too honest and she couldn't figure out why she was starting to believe him. "You've been given a chance to 'fix' something, Seta-san? You realise that you are claiming time travel; something that goes against all modern science and falls into the realms of fantastical impossibility."

"I know it sounds far-fetched," he began, desperate to cling onto the interest he'd managed to gain from her. "If… if you want proof, I can offer you information. More information. Something that only you would know, something you'd only tell someone that you have complete trust in."

"If you phrase it like that, it almost sounds as if you are stalking me."

"I… well, yeah, I guess it does." Souji laughed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come off as creepy."

"You're very calm for someone just accused of stalking," Naoto said, raising an eyebrow. "Almost too calm."

"Why panic if I'm not guilty?" Souji asked, tilting his head. "Seems a bit silly to me."

The detective remained silent for a moment before she nodded. "Yes, I suppose so. However, before you offer me this evidence, I do have a question that I expect to be answered with complete honesty."

"Of course."

"Do you realise what it is you are getting into? Do you and your friends understand the danger you are putting yourselves in by investigating this case? I understand someone important to you was lost, but a murderer is not something that you may simply chase after without risks."

"We're fully aware of the risks…" Souji replied quietly, looking down at his hands folded in his lap. _Even a few that you won__'__t know until later._ "…and we're prepared for the consequences should something occur. Suffice to say that we're in a position to be more effective than the police in certain circumstances."

Naoto's expression had turned sceptical once more as she listened to the silverette's explanation. She couldn't decide if the other's words should be considered impressive or cocky. On the surface, it sounded as if a group of teenagers had gotten bored and started chasing after something much bigger than they could ever understand, but the calm with which Souji held himself, the honesty he was offering her without any hesitance… it was strange. His eyes were as open and honest as his words and he seemed to have no issue with answering every question she had. There was nothing that came off as awkward or forced. There was no way that someone would have been able to rehearse a story like this so well and not mess up. Which only left _truth,_ a nearly impossible to fathom truth. "I'm really not sure how to take that statement, Seta-san. You don't appear to be the type who acts irrationally, even with the impulsive stunt you pulled upon our first meeting."

"Ahaha, I admit, I did lose control then," Souji smiled and leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. "I guess… I was just so relieved to see you again, I didn't think. You wouldn't believe how long my friends hounded me about it."

"Not many people would throw themselves at a stranger, even if they were their 'fan' as you put it," Naoto said, allowing herself a faint smile of amusement that quickly slipped away. "Regardless, I think we should get straight to the point. You said you had evidence to back this rather… unique story of yours."

"If you need more after that, I have something I could show you as well."

"Show me?" the sleuth raised an eyebrow, and then shook her head. "Not now, perhaps later. I'd like to hear this other 'proof' you have first. Depending on that, I will decide if something visual is required as well."

"Fair enough," Souji nodded and leaned forward in his chair, arms supporting himself on his knees. "Some things that only someone close to you would know…"

"If I may make a request? Just to ensure you have not… gotten assistance."

"If you want."

"If you were close to me, you would know who I live with, correct?"

"Your grandfather and Yakushiji-san, yes."

Naoto blinked, stilling for a moment, but managed to fight down her surprise. Her living arrangements had never been public knowledge, nor had anyone asked, but it wasn't a fact that was impossible to figure out with a little investigation. The Shirogane name was well-known, and her grandfather's name rather big. It would be easy to find out about herself though that. "Yes, that's correct…" her tone was quiet, slightly put-off at how easily he'd answered her. "How close would you say you were? Close enough that you could tell me something about myself that even they wouldn't know?" It was the toughest challenge she could think of; she needed something, anything to make this as hard as possible for this man.

"Well…" the silverette began, trailing off as he tried to think of the best way to answer. "Let's start with the simpler things first."

"As you wish."

"Alright," smiling faintly, he began to rattle off the small, seemingly meaningless, but all around important facts that Naoto herself had once told him. "You like high places, and used to play in trees and make bases in them. You also hate throwing things away, especially if you have an emotional attachment to them." He paused, allowing himself to enjoy the way Naoto's head turned to look at him as she shifted her position in her chair. "When you were young, you preferred cars, robots, and puzzles to the make-up and teddy bears that other girls liked to play with—and you're the same way now." He stopped again with a kind smile, waiting for the first load to sink in.

"That's all very well, but also information easily obt—" the rest of her sentence was lost as the detective visibly tensed and sat up straighter. Her mouth moved wordlessly, opening and closing as she tried to calm herself down, the 'other girls' registering in her mind. _That_ was a secret she'd made sure to keep particularly well hidden. "How… how do you know about that?" Anger welled up inside her chest, but it was quickly pushed away by fear. What if he'd told someone? What if he would? Would he use this as blackmail against her? "Who told you?"

"…You told me," Souji sighed, "Before I was sent back to try all of this again. You told me yourself." _Granted, it was your Shadow and I wasn__'__t supposed to find out that way, but it__'__s not a lie. Your Shadow is you after all._ "And if it's not too out of line to say, I'll tell you the same thing I said back then; I'm glad you're a girl. Even if you were adamant in trying to prove there wasn't anything good about it the first time I said so."

Eyes widening, Naoto wrapped her fingers tightly around the fabric of her pants in an attempt to calm herself down. Her breath hitched slightly, her words catching in her throat as something inside of her shifted. It was strange, but unmistakable; a warm, gentle and comforting feeling that settled itself in her chest and made her cheeks heat up, that disappeared almost as soon as it had come. "There is hardly anything special about being female. If anything, it just holds me back from where I want to go. …Nothing is to be gained from it."

"That hasn't stopped you yet, has it?" the silver-haired male asked. "Even if you're hiding your gender from the world right now, you're still carving out your own path in spite of the barriers. You always have. Like with the 'Seven Tools of the Detective,' and…"

"A-again," the sleuth swallowed thickly and bite the inside of her cheek to keep from panicking. Part of her wanted to run, she knew she _should_ run, yet something, something strange about the man sitting beside her was holding her down, keeping her oddly calm in a way she never thought possible. "those items are obtainable information."

"Not all of them are," Souji murmured quietly as he reached into his pocket and pulled something out of his pocket. His hands gripped the item tightly for a moment, before extending his hand and offering it. "Take a look at this; it's a replica of one of those tools that you… made me personally."

"Personally?" Naoto frowned and looked over the item. "I somehow doubt that, I don't do custom work for…" she trailed off, bringing the detective's badge closer to her face. There was no mistaking her own handiwork, as she took great care to add small details to ensure they couldn't be copied. She took pride in knowing that she had a tool no one else had. Yet here this boy was, claiming the ridiculous, and offering her proof that only she herself could have given him. Not even her grandfather would have been able to make a copy this accurate. "But how…?" she flipped it open and looked at the back. "It's impossible. I haven't made… a second one. I…"

Pausing, the detective noticed something odd about the back and reached into her pocket, producing a pen which she turned over, pointing the non-writing end at the badge. After pressing the switch, a black light turned on, shinning into the other object and, much to her expectation, revealed a hidden message in a neat and orderly hand-writing that she immediately recognized as her own. "Wh-what…"

'_Souji, I never used to believe in the meaning of the word __'__love,__'__ but I__'__m willing to start trying again__—__to find the true meaning of the words__—__as long as it__'__s you who shows me how.__'_

Souji could only smile sadly as he felt his insides sink slightly while watching the female across from him. Her entire demeanour had changed completely and he couldn't tell if she was more terrified or shocked. Her hands were shaking, and for a moment he was worried that she was going to drop both items in her hands until she leaned back in her chair and shut her eyes. It wasn't surprising, really, it had been a rather big blow to suddenly throw on someone, and part of him wondered if it had been the right choice to make, but of all the people he knew, Naoto's logical mind-set seemed the only one that could handle the shock. Still, he really wondered if he'd made the best choice. "I know it's probably too much too soon, but… you deserve the whole truth. I won't hide anything from you, especially… with what happened last time." _Not to mention you__'__d lose your respect for me._ "I really… don't want to mess up again."

"It… it is a little much, yes," Naoto said, exhaling slowly. Her mind was going spastic in an attempt to keep up with everything she'd just learned. A faint throbbing had started behind her eyes, making it difficult for her to concentrate, and speak. "And now that you've told me all of this… what exactly would you expect to come from it? You claim you've been 'sent back,' however, you are a complete stranger to me now. The words… the words written on this badge…" She hesitated, to call them false seemed unfair, as it _had_ been her at some point who had thought them, but the concept of trying to make sense of that only made her head throb more.

"I'm not going to ask you to treat me like you did before," the silverette admitted with a sigh. "That wouldn't be fair. It's true you don't know me now, and asking that we resume something that you don't remember wouldn't be good for either of us, but… I would… like to continue being your friend. Perhaps work more closely with you this time. If we do that… we may stand a better chance of finding the murderer this time."

For a while, Naoto didn't respond. Everything was still swirling violently in her mind like a storm as it tried to properly place itself where it all needed to go. The badge in her hand felt as it were pulsating warmth, a warmth she was both uncomfortable with and calmed by. It didn't make sense. The emotions Souji was causing her were a mess of contradictions and lacked any form of logic. Trying to figure it out had proved impossible. So she stopped trying. "…It seems I trusted you with my life in the future, as it were, and I could only assume that the actions you took then would be the same you would make regardless, even if you didn't know you'd be sent back. Explaining it that way makes it sound even more confusing than it really is, but I'm not sure there is a way to word it in a manner that would make sense regardless. However, I think it is safe to assume that, having your past memories, you would try even harder this time with efforts even more… genuine, forgive my awkward phrasing." There was a pause in which Souji held his breath as he waited for Naoto to finish, and he nearly cheered when she did. "…I can only believe that 'trusting myself' is the correct choice."

If it was possible for Souji's smile to grow any wider, he was sure his face would have split. His heart was fluttering happily in his chest as he took back the detective's badge that was being offered to him and held it close to his chest, nodding. "Thank you for giving me this chance. I promise… I promise I won't let you down."

Noticing the complete change in the male's attitude, Naoto couldn't help but wonder just how close they had been in this "future" that Souji came from. The idea was still seemed ridiculous, but even she could not deny what he had offered her. "I do have a few conditions to this… 'alliance' of ours," she murmured, fixing the other with a serious look.

"Don't endanger ourselves and don't do anything that might get us in trouble with the authorities, right?" Souji said with a weak chuckle.

"Well, yes…" the detective allowed herself a small chuckled and nodded. "That goes without saying, I would hope. But I would also like to be given full updates by you during this case. I won't… share anything said between us to the police, but that is only as long as I am given your complete honesty—or if there are crucial details that could be used to find the culprit. Of course, your information will remain anonymous."

"Well, like I said," Souji said, rising to his feet, "there are certain things me friends and I can do that the police can't. So in the interests of full disclosure, I think we had better go to the electronics department."

"The electronics department?" Naoto repeated, standing up as well on reflex. "I don't see how that would be of any importance."

"You will once we get there," the silverette assured. "As they say, 'seeing is believing.' And you definitely have to see this to believe it."

When they reached the electronics department, Souji approached the TV used by the investigation team almost daily and looked around. Thankfully, no one seemed to be in need of televisions today, as the area was completely empty. Turning to Naoto, the silverette offered a wide grin and pulled up the sleeves of his uniform, showing the young female his arms. "Nothing up my sleeves, as you can see."

Raising her eyebrow, Naoto watched as Souji turned away from her and vaguely wondered if she was supposed to be laughing. It didn't seem as if the other had just made a joke, and asking seemed rude. Placing a hand on her hip she frowned and adjusted her cap. "I'm still not sure why we are here. What could you need to show me in—wh-what…!" Whatever she'd been planning to say was lost as, once again, she was left speechless at the sight before her.

Souji Seta's head was inside the television.

"H-how… what… but…" As Naoto struggled to regain proper use of speech, Souji glanced about his surroundings. Sure enough, the soft pitter-patter of feet could soon be heard and a bright-red bear approached him, grinning widely.

"Sensei!"

"Hello, Teddie," Souji greeted with a small nod. "…Please don't bite me again. You nearly made me bleed last time, you know."

The bear's smile melted away to be replaced by a small pout, followed by a huff. "Aww, but you taste like chicken, sensei!" The glare he received in response was enough to shut him up and he nodded, shuffling closer to where the silverette stood. "So why are you here? Are the others with you? I can't smell them, but… I smell someone else. Who is it?"

"I want you to meet someone, come over here for a minute—and be careful. I might have to shove you back if someone gets too close." Pulling himself out of the TV, Souji bit back a laugh as he looked at Naoto who was staring at him as if he'd grown an extra head. "Sorry, guess I should have given you a little warning."

"…That would have been nice," she commented weakly, eyeing the large television uneasily. "That is… not a normal function. Nor does it seem like something that's meant to be there."

"Not really, no…" the silverette admitted. "It's… hard to explain, really, but come here. There's someone you need to meet."

_"Meet?_ Someone _lives_ in there? That's utterly—"

"Whoa! Sensei brought a new friend! Do they taste like chicken, too? Or do they taste more like takoyaki like Yosuke?"

"Yosuke—wait, what?" Souji's nose wrinkled in distaste as Naoto made a sound to his left, leaning against one of the many shelves for support. Had the obvious evidence not been there for her to see, the authorities would have been alerted immediately and all her efforts would have been thrown into making sure this man had gotten the doctors he needed. Part of her still wanted to, but at this point, it just didn't seem worth it. She would have had to check herself in as well.

"This is… insane…" she murmured, pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes. "Utterly insane. This all must be some sort of elaborate trick. That's all that makes sense, and yet…" She opened her eyes and stared at the colourful bear-like face staring back at her. "…What _is_ that, exactly? It doesn't—how can it speak? It's clearly not a person nor animal, and yet… Just _how?"_

"Well, he's… a bear," Souji explained with a small smile. "He's sort of helping us out with the investigations."

"A bear…" Naoto repeated, shaking her head. "_Of course_, he's a bear. How... how silly of me."

"Have you never seen a bear before?" Teddie asked, sounding confused, "Wow… What are they teaching cubs this days? Did he just wake up from hibernation, Sensei?"

"Uh, well…"

"I take back what I said before," Naoto muttered, removing her cap to run a hand through her hair. "What you revealed to be before was much easier to comprehend than this. I believe _this_ goes above and beyond 'a little much.'"

"Is he okay?" the bear spoke up again, looking at Souji. "The look on his face is un-_bear-_able."

"He'll be fine, Teddie. He's just… taking in a lot of things at once right now. Anyway, you needed to know about Kanji, right? I'll call the others later. What you need to know is…"

As she listened to Souji speak, Naoto couldn't help but feel as if she'd just been tricked into agreeing to something she would have been much better off walking away from. Time travel had been hard to comprehend, but suddenly she was dealing with bears and televisions that were some form of bizarre portal to… she didn't even know what. When the silverette finally turned back to her, she replaced her cap and crossed her arms, glaring softly. "You never needed that information on Kanji-kun, did you?"

"Uh, well…" Souji smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "No, I… honestly, I didn't quite think this all the way through. I really did plan on asking you and leaving it at that, but… I dunno. I guess it all just… slipped out? It's a really big secret for me to keep and lying to everyone has been a challenge. When I saw you I just… I don't know. I've missed you."

Of all the excuses and explanations Naoto had expected, the one offered was not one of them. Shaking her head, she stood up as straight as she could and crossed her arms, fixing the other with what she could only hope was a firm look. "I can only hope that you don't have plans for the next few hours. I've been extremely calm and rational about all of this, which is quite the accomplishment considering. I don't plan on reporting you to the authorities or the asylum… but in exchange for that, I need answers. I'm just… I'm going to assume that, at some point, I learned of all of this last time and, somehow, finding out this way is better for us both."

"…Depends, really," Souji sighed. "I couldn't tell you. How you found out last time…" he paused and shook his head. "That's the one thing I won't really be able to explain. Not fully. But you'll get that answer in due time."

Twisting her lips into a frown, Naoto merely nodded. One question remaining unanswered was small when compared to the big picture. She had many more she could have much preferred to have explained anyway. "…Tea."

"Tea?" the silverette repeated, blinking in confusion before he smiled. "Oh, right… Junes has decent tea up in the food court. It isn't the best, but it'll work for our needs, I think."

"Good to know," the detective replied curtly. "I'm thankful for how easy you seem to be making this for me. However… I've thought of one more condition to our agreement."

"What is that?" Souji asked, not expecting the sudden request, though not at all planning to deny it. He had dropped a rather large bomb today.

"…Some warning before the next hug would be most appreciated."

Jaw dropping in shock, Souji could only follow after Naoto wordlessly as she started back toward the elevators. A wide smile graced his lips as the call button was pushed, and he couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright. I can agree to that."

"Heh," Naoto shook her head. "Well then, Seta-san…" she gestured to the open elevator. "I believe we have a lot to talk about."

* * *

"Dude, what's with you?" Yosuke asked, watching Souji as he ate his lunch on the rooftop the following day at school.

"Huh?" Souji frowned and swallowed his mouthful of food. "What do you mean?"

"You're happy," Chie pipped up, leaning forward to peer at the silverette's face. "Like, really, _really_ happy. I don't think I've _ever_ seen you this happy."

"Yeah, well… I just had a good day yesterday, that's all."

"Good day?" Yukiko asked, titling her head. "Was the investigation that fun?"

"Who cares," Yosuke shrugged. "Have a few more of those good days, would ya? We can definitely get used to you in this kind of mood, partner!"


	13. Fear of Rejection

I owe you all yet another apology for being so late. The illness I mentioned in the last chapter took a turn for the worse and it grew increasingly hard for me to preform even basic functions. The only thing outside of schoolwork I was ever able to keep up with was a tumblr account, but there are several readers who I was able to speak with over Skype who would be able to confirm just how badly I sounded. It reached the point where I was literally unable to speak without coughing and wheezing, and two inhalers continue to assist my ability to breathe.

When this chapter was finished, it took me some time to get it BETA'd. I would like to extent my thanks to **_MagnusRagnar _**for betaing this for me and sending it back so quickly (as of uploading this, I got it back less than an hour ago.) Happily, my health seems to be (finally) doing better. I pray that you all forgive me for taking so long in uploading this and that it's length may help make up for it.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve****:**_ Fear of Rejection_

The smells from the grill wafting over to the table where Souji sat in the Junes food court made his stomach growl desperately for attention, causing his face to twist into a look of displeasure. If he hadn't received a call from Yosuke just shy of five minutes ago alerting him that he and the others were on their way, he would have given and bought one of tempting takoyaki lunch sets. It wasn't often that he actually required snacks after school, but that morning he'd woken up late after a rather long conversation with Naoto the night before, and he hadn't remembered to grab his lunch. It was the third time that week he'd ended up staying awake until the early hours of the morning speaking with the detective, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it. Regardless of the detective's current "business only" intentions, her curious nature and endless supply of questions as she tried to understand as much of the situation as he felt comfortable divulging about the murder case was very entertaining. The late-night conversations had started to take their toll on his focus, but it was nothing small naps during lectures couldn't solve. Studying was more than enough to help him refresh his memory of the year's curriculum, and the satisfaction he would hear in Naoto's tone when she was able to unearth an answer from him was just too much to resist.

Leaning back in the white metallic chair, the silverette allowed his arms to dangle over the rests as he closed his eyes, blocking out the amber glow of the afternoon sun. A soft breeze had started to pick up, thankfully pushing the smell of the food stalls away, and bringing a faint scent that smelled very much like the blooming flowers of the trees down by the floodplain. As he allowed himself to relax, a soft smile spread across his lips and he sank further back into his chair. It wasn't the most comfortable of positions, but it was the short moments like this that he was able to have completely to himself and, just for a moment, set aside all his current worries that he valued the most. Somewhere to is left, he could hear a child pleading with his mother for ice-cream while the mother tried to convince her son that it would spoil supper. The conversation left him with a sorrowful sense of nostalgia; reminding him of when he had just started to attend school and his parents—at least his mother—were around more and he hadn't yet started the game of human "hot potato" that had become his life.

With a sigh, he and up and leaned against the flat surface of the table, trying to make himself comfortable as he prepared for a short micro-nap. He estimated that he still had a few minutes before the others arrived and something was better than nothing. Just as he was starting to drift off, something soft and strangely _moist_ poked at his knee and he jumped violently, jerking back as he looked under the table.

"What the-!" A pair of black eyes met his and it took the silverette a few moments to register the fuzzy face that came with them. "Oh… Fox," he muttered softly, reaching out to stroke the animal's head. It had been almost a week since he'd last gone to visit the helpful animal, and he'd forgotten how soon after their meeting it had decided to come and help them out. Smiling faintly, he pushed his chair back and turned, patting his knee twice. For a moment, the fox merely stared at him blankly, cocking his head as his ear twitched, before he seemed to understand what Souji was offering. Crouching, the fox pushed off the ground with its back legs and landed in the silverette's lap with ease.

"Yip!"

"Hello to you as well," Souji laughed, scratching behind the fox's ears. "It's been a wh—"

"What the _hell_ is that!"

Both Souji and the fox's heads snapped in the direction of the noise, meeting the surprised (and slightly horrified) face of Yosuke. The brunette was eyeing the fox as if he weren't quite sure if it was real or not. Beside him, Chie watched with a look of surprised awe, and Yukiko next to her had a faint gleam of excitement in her dark eyes.

"This," the leader of the investigation squad began, pausing for dramatic flair, "…is a _fox_, Yosuke. They're a species of omnivorous mammals from the Canidae family. You can tell from the long and narrow snout and his bushy tail."

In response to Souji's explanation, the fox raised its nose in the air and swished his tail, showing both off as best he could.

"Wha—I know _that_, smartass! I meant… what the hell is it doing _here?"_

"He's sitting on my lap, obviously."

"Dude, I swear, you're such a—"

"Aw, he's so cute… He's the fox that hangs around near the shrine, isn't he? I know that apron." Yukiko's soft coo cut the brunette off as she approached the chair Souji sat on and offered her hand to the fox. The creature's moist nose poked at her open palm, yipping softly before pressing its head under her hand in approval. "I think…" she continued, moving her hand down to the fox's back, "he wants to help us."

"_Help?"_ Chie repeated, unsure if the raven was joking. "How can he…?"

"Actually, that might be right," Souji said, looking down at the fox. "He did help that old man, after all."

"Old man?" the martial artist repeated. "What old man?"

"Well…" Leaning back in his chair, the silverette began explaining about his encounter a week earlier with the fox at the shrine. When it reached the subject of the leaves, he paused, unsure of how to continue. As someone who had seen and felt their healing powers numerous times, they seemed very second hand knowledge. It took a few minutes, but eventually he was able to come up with something that made enough sense for the others to understand.

"That's great and all, but why do we have to pay him?" Yosuke groaned, "Talk about a scam…"

Next to Souji, the fox growled in response, flicking its tail in irritation. The silver-haired male laughed quietly and reached out, running his fingers over the fox's head and scratching the base of its ears. "He's only charging to help fund the shrine," he explained, earning a yip of confirmation from the animal in his lap. "Wouldn't you want to take care of your home if it needed improvements, Yosuke?"

"I, well…" the brunette hesitated, looking guilt-struck. His dark-caramel eyes lingered on the mammal as he chewed the inside of his cheek, distraught. "Yeah, I guess… Fine, fine. Whatever. We'll pay him."

"Honestly, Yosuke… It's better than going to that shop and carrying around all those treats, isn't it? This way we have to carry less; we don't get as much attention."

"Oh…" Yukiko blinked, turning to Chie. "I never thought about it that way, that's a really good point."

"W-well, it just… seemed to make sense," the martial artist said sheepishly, scratching her cheek. "Anyway, shouldn't we go looking for Kanji-kun now? We have enough information, right?"

Souji nodded in response, "Thanks to the information Naoto has given us."

"Wait, what?" Yosuke tore his gaze away from the fox he'd been holding a silent staring with, "He's… still talking to you?"

"I'm just as surprised as you are, honestly," the silverette kept his tone even as he shrugged. The group still didn't know he'd told Naoto as much as he had. It was better that way; it would become awkward otherwise and risk too much of a change from the past he knew. Too much change would prove to be a problem; it might risk more lives than they'd be able to save, or ultimately stop the remaining members of the team that had yet to join from joining at all. "But without his willingness to forgive and forget, we wouldn't be as far ahead as we are now."

"I guess," the brunette said with a small nod. "So… he's not worried you might… you know… again?"

Scowling, Souji glared half-heartedly at Yosuke, his tone growing cold, "It won't. Happen. Again. Now drop it, _partner."_

"Ooooh, scary!" Yosuke grinned, leaning across the table. "Man, if looks could kill-"

"Oh, will you cut it out!" Chie scolded, smacking Yosuke upside the head lightly. "Geez, you're like a little kid…."

"Um, l-let's just go, okay?" Yukiko cut in, looking between the three of them uneasily. "…Please?"

Souji stood up in response and nodded, holding back a smirk. Yosuke wouldn't be poking fun at him for much longer.

* * *

"Sensei!" Teddie cried joyfully, running forward to meet the investigation squad as they entered the TV World, "Welcome back!"

"What, no welcome for us too?" Yosuke scoffed playfully. "Ouch, Ted. That hurts."

"Oh, don't worry, Yosuke. You'll get over it! Besides, Sensei's special! He has to come first."

"Wha-!" the brunette pursed his lips and crossed his arms. "I still say that's a dumb-"

"Um, guys?" Yukiko cut in, "Shouldn't… we look for Kanji-kun first?"

"Huh?" Teddie blinked and turned to Souji, curious. "Did you find out more clues about Kanji-kun?"

The silverette nodded and relayed some of the more basic facts he'd come to learn about Kanji over the 'previous' year. His words were chosen carefully, knowing too much would appear strange, but knowing nothing at all would put Naoto's reliance into question as well as his own—and perhaps earn a few jokes form Yosuke about being "distracted."

"I see…" the bear shifted his weight from foot to foot, carefully thinking over the information he'd been provided. He turned around and lifted his face to the air, sniffing every few seconds. His senses tingled as he began to move around, face scrunched up in concentration. "I can smell something…" he muttered, leaning to a pathway on the far left. "Huh? But it smells kinda… funny."

Not waiting for a response, Teddie took off down the path, the soft squeak of his paws echoing through the fog. The investigation squad jumped, startled at the bear's sudden movements before they took off after him, shouting for the other to slow down and allow them a chance to catch up. The run itself was short, three different turns and a quick passage through a small tunnel lead the team to a sight that stopped them in their tracks, oblivious to the proud face of Teddie as he stood before the wooden building.

"Tadaaa! Aren't I just bearific? My nose-"

"Wh-what the hell is this!" Yosuke yelped and took a step back, bumping into a very amused Souji.

"It's so foggy in here," Chie gasped, moving toward the door to get a closer look. "But… it doesn't seem like the same fog as the rest of this world. It's way too different—and why does it smell so musty?"

"My glasses are fogging up," Yukiko frowned as she took them off and rubbed the lenses against the sleep of her sweater. "Even with the glasses it's difficult to see."

"It's hot in here too," Souji said casually, leaning over Yosuke's shoulder to peer at the building's entrance. "Muggy too; it's almost like a-"

"Don't say it, dude," Yosuke groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Aw man, I knew something was off when Chie said she smelled something. This is gonna suck. Can I change my mind? I'll guard the entrance and…"

"_Hello there…"_ The brunette was cut off as a disembodied voice suddenly boomed from the inside the 'strange fog.' It was deep, rumbling, and smooth._ "Why don't you c'mere and join me, pussycat?"_

_"__Oooh,"_ another voice started in response; it was much higher than the other, but still smooth, almost gentlemanly, _"__what well-defined pecs; you__'__re a tough guy. You could break me in half."_

"_Touch guy, huh? There's no need to be scared… I won't hurt you."_

Beside Souji, Yosuke had gone comically rigid, his face a ghastly shade of white. "You've gotta be kidding me… Why? Why? _Why?_"

"P-Pussycat?" Yukiko repeated, sounding shocked. "B-but… I thought this was supposed to be a sauna. Why would…?"

"Don't ask," the martial artist beside her muttered, an odd look on her face. "I don't think we wanna know."

"Is this because I made the jokes?" the headphone-clad male continued, oblivious to his female friends. "Is it punishment? This world isn't making fun of me, is it? Look dude, I'm sorry. I didn't think it'd come to this. Seriously. I'll be good. J-just don't make me-"

"_Now just… relax…"_

Souji was forced to swallow his laughter as Yosuke took a step back, sliding on the moist wooden floor. He hit the ground with a loud thump, making Chie and Yukiko jump in shock.

"Wh—Yosuke! What are you doing!"

"…I don't want to go," he whimpered childishly, earning a glare from the martial artists.

"Seriously? This again? UGH! You're acting like such a little kid! Get over it. We're going."

"What? But I don't—ouch! Stop pulling me! Ow! Chie! That's skin, not jacket. OW!"

"…W-well," Yukiko coughed and looked over her shoulder at Souji, surprised to see the silverette grinning widely. "Um, Souji-kun? Is… something wrong?"

"No, no," the male laughed, "Nothing at all. Come on, we'd better follow them. We'd have a problem if those two got lost."

"Right!" the raven nodded a determined look on her face.

Behind the two teens, Teddie's facial expression remained baffled as he followed them through the thick white steam into the sauna. "Sensei? What's wrong with Yosuke? Why doesn't he like this 'saw-nuh' thing? And why does it smell so funny in here? Was that voice Kanji-kun?"

Souji only snorted in response, his grin, if possible, growing wider. "Ask me again after we rescue Kanji," he said, "and make sure Yosuke can hear us."

* * *

"So, you found Tatsumi-san in a… bath-house?"

"Right."

"And you rescued him from that so-called 'world' _inside_ the television?"

"Correct."

"Then, if I'm to summarise all you've explained to me thus-far; you're telling me that someone is using this 'television-world' as the murder weapon?"

"Three for three."

"You realise this sounds utterly ridiculous. There's no possible way an argument such as that would hold up in a court—even if you managed to convince someone to believe you, surely you'd be either locked up or forced into some sort of experimentation process. Few would be able to easily turn their gaze from the possibilities of such a world; you'd never be left alone."

"There _are_ a few reasons we haven't gone to the police about what we've found."

"...I would call you crazy, but it would seem pointless, the events of the past week have done enough to silence my scepticism for the time being. Or perhaps I am merely the one going crazy and this is all a bizarre dream."

"You're not going crazy, don't worry. You're probably the sanest out of everyone, Naoto-kun."

"Is that so?" the sleuth chuckled and shook her head, taking a sip from the Junes-brand tea she'd ordered just shy of an hour ago. "I can only assume you'd be a close second, then. Your focus and determination for this case are admirable, I must admit."

"Oh?" Souji smirked, "Approval from the detective 'prince' directly? I'm flattered. Maybe I should try solving mysteries in secret a little more often."

"Do be careful with your words, Seta-san," Naoto said, setting her drink down. "I do still have enough authority to take you in for questioning. I'm only remaining silent about your endeavours because they are producing results. Do not think I will stand aside and let you run completely free."

Souji snorted in response and popped a small slice of steak into his mouth. "Damn," he sighed, his tone dejected," and I was just about to get somewhere with that Moriarty guy, too. Guess I'll have to let him out of the basement..."

"You… _wh-what?"_ It appeared as if the young detective was at a complete loss for words. Her eyes widened considerably and she nearly choked on the sip of tea she'd just taken. Several seconds of complete silence passed between the two teens and, for a moment, the silverette worried he had somehow offended her. However, much to his own shock, and pleasure, Naoto's lips curved into a smile and soft, warm laughter filled the empty air. It was perhaps one of the most genuine reactions he'd ever seen from her, and it made his heart sore. "R-really now, Seta-san. You shouldn't joke about such things. That's—even if it is amusing—I…" she trailed off and shook her head, trying to calm the giggles that threatened to continue.

Souji couldn't help but smile back, the ache in his heart tempered by seeing the one he loved so truly happy. "You should laugh more, you know. The change... it makes you look all the more beautiful."

"U-um," Naoto coughed and averted her gaze, trying to ignore the heat rising in her cheeks. "Seta-san, I thought we agreed we weren't going to place ourselves in awkward situations pertaining to the, ah, 'past'?" She shifted in her seat, glancing at the silver-haired male out of the corner of her eye. Despite her protests, she couldn't help but feel pleased, but Souji didn't need to know that.

"Ahaha, right. I apologize." The silverette grinned, not looking apologetic in the slightest.

"Mmhm," the sleuth tsk'd sceptically under his breath. "And why should I believe this 'apology' is heartfelt?"

"It isn't," he admitted, smile widening. "I don't regret saying it at all."

Naoto scoffed in response and hid a small smile behind her cup. "Then I suppose an apology isn't truly necessary, is it?"

Souji blinked in response, looking surprised. He opened his mouth, pausing as he tried to figure out how to respond. He hadn't expected that at all; the last time he'd complimented her appearance he'd earned a small scolding—though he had noticed the faint sense of pride it had initiated in the detective.

"You're not like the others," she continued, "It's strange, but I don't sense the same blind idolatry from you as I tend to receive from others who have… attempted the same form of stunt."

"…'Attempted'?"

"_Attempted,_ yes."

Souji laughed, "I'm glad I can stand out from the crowd positively, then."

"Oh?" Naoto inclined her head to the side, "You're not at all curious as to how I'm so certain?"

"Well," the silverette rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin, "maybe just a little."

"I thought so," the sleuth nodded in quiet triumph. "It was when we met in the textile shop that confirms it."

"That… that was…"

"A genuine display of emotion…" she cut him off, her cheeks mimicking the bright red which had spread over Souji's. "It wasn't the instinctive reaction of a fan seeing someone they idolise. It was... something much 'deeper' than that, if you'll excuse the strange wording. At the time, I was much too shocked by the experience that I wasn't able to see it immediately. However, in retrospect…" she trailed off and paused, looking down at the table.

Souji looked up in concern, surprised to see something else completely. Her shoulders were just slightly hunched in an attempt to make herself look smaller, while her left hand rose to the brim of her cap to pull it down, shielding her face, and a faint divot in her cheek indicated that she was biting the inside half: she was flustered. He hadn't seen it in so long, it took the silverette by such surprise, he almost didn't notice her continue.

"In retrospect… I can't help but wonder more and more if what you said before was true. That is, if we knew each other… much more intimately than I…"

The silverette coughed awkwardly and licked his lips, suddenly aware of just how dry his mouth was. "Maybe you shouldn't dwell so much on possibilities and just… let things go as they will?"

"Are you suggesting I should simply leave things in the hands of 'fate', Seta-san? Surely you must realise that such a thing doesn't-"

"Or trust in your own fortune."

"For…tune?" Naoto repeated slowly. The word, while seemingly perfectly normal, triggered something in the back of her mind. What it was she couldn't tell, but _something_ about it made her nod in agreement. "Mm… I suppose you're correct. Attempting to create a hypothesis out of nothing won't allow progress."

"I'm glad you agree," Souji said. "Now I think we should keep eating before our steaks get too cold."

"Ah…" Jumping slightly, the young detective reached out on reflex to touch the food on her plate. "Not again…"

With a small smile, the silverette chuckled and stood up, reaching for his plate, "Should I get us some warmer steak?"

Shaking her head, the sleuth stood up and picked up both of the plates, slipping the cold steaks onto one before stacking them. "No, you needn't do that," she said, gesturing for the male to sit down again. "It's my treat this time, as thanks for the thought-provoking conversation… and a thoughtful birthday 'gift basket.'"

Souji blinked, lips parting in surprise before he chuckled and shook his head. "I was wondering when you'd figure it out," he admitted. He hadn't expected the sleuth to give the gifts much thought, let alone attempt to thank the sender; after all, the way in which he'd sent them had been rather suspicious. A soft heat formed in his chest and swirled around happily, filling his entire body with its warmth. "I'm… surprised you didn't throw them away," he admitted. "Or did you…?"

"Throw them…" the young detective frowned as she set her tea down firmly and met the silverette's gaze with a small glare. "Antiques are not to be discarded rashly, Seta-san."

"DVDs are hardly antiques, though. But I take it you didn't throw those away?"

"Yes, well…" Naoto's cheeks darkened as she looked off to the side, avoiding the male's gaze. "One is entitled to make their own choices, and Sherlock Holmes is not to be tossed into the rubbish bin. It's an unwritten rule in the Shirogane house."

"Oh?" the silverette grinned, "Your Grampa's rule?"

"No. Mine."

"Point taken."

"I would hope so. I don't think this covers the debt I owe you. I'll be speaking to you about that very thing quite soon... particularly how _expensive_ it was Senpai."

"I…" Souji trailed off as he felt his stomach plummet before leaping back up through his chest and into his throat. If it hadn't been for the ending of the sleuth's sentence, he would have made a joke about remembering her 'lectures' and how he'd always try to follow them like a 'good boy.' His pulse suddenly raced as the young woman before him seemed to choke on her tea once she'd realised what she had done.

"I-I apologise," she sputtered, trying to regain her breath. "I don't… I don't know what came over me. It… slipped out."

"…It's a nickname," Souji murmured, "I haven't heard it in a while; not directed at me at least. The first-years in our group used to call me that."

"I see… I suppose I will need to be more aware of my speech from now on," Naoto said, biting the inside of her cheek. "You… seem to bring out things in me that I never knew existed up until now. I… W-wait, no, rather… That came out wrong, I-!"

"I understand, there's no need to explain."

"You…" Naoto sighed, shaking her head. "You are infuriating, Sen… Seta-san."

"Heh, I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologise. It… it is the good kind of infuriating."

"Ah? I'll take that as a compliment then."

Picking up her tea, the sleuth allowed herself a small smile. "You should."

* * *

Yosuke sat atop the rooftop of the school, talking to Chie in a quiet tone while Souji sat on the bench beside theirs, playing absently with his phone. Every few minutes, one of the brunette's would smile or laugh and, unknown to them, earn a faint grin of approval from the silverette. It never failed to impress him just how close the two had managed to get so quickly. They still had their little arguments—as Souji would have been more concerned had those disappeared completely—but for the most part, they both seemed much happier; much more at ease than he remembered them behind before.

"Ah," the silver-haired make stood up, looking toward the door of the roof which had just opened. "She found him."

The three teens turned their gaze toward the entrance to the rooftop where Yukiko had just stepped outside, closely followed be a nervous-looking Kanji who stilled at the sight everyone, hesitating for just a moment before he continued after the raven. No one spoke for several seconds and just as the silence was slowly becoming awkward, the bleach-blond 'punk' raised a hand to rub the back of his neck sheepishly, "Uh, h-hi there, it's, uh… a pleasure t-to… meet you, uh… f-finally."

Beside Yosuke, Chie laughed, a grin forming on her face. "Ahaha, where'd the manners come from?"

"W-well, I, uh…" Kanji sputtered, panicking slightly. His eyes fell to the ground as he chewed at his bottom lip, looking uncomfortable. For a moment, Souji thought he was going to make a run for it, which seemed odd, Kanji hadn't been this nervous before. He glanced at Yosuke and raised an eyebrow, wondering if the brunette's sudden taste in 'strange jokes' was the reasoning. "I-I didn't… know you guys were my senpai. I guess… I was pretty rude to you all before, huh?"

"Aw, come on, it's not a big deal, dude," Yosuke laughed, earning a look of surprise from everyone else. "We were pretty much stalking you; Can't say I blame you much for getting upset. I'd have been pretty peeved myself if a group of weirdoes was following me around."

"Yeah…" Chie added, looking embarrassed. "We were really bad about it, too. We must have looked really creepy."

"I-I guess?" the blond blinked, looking surprised. "I mean, now that I know why it doesn't seem so weird or whatever, but, uh… A-anyway, I wanted to thank you guys. For… for savin' me; though I don't really remember what happened…"

"As long as you're alright, that's what matters," Yukiko said with a small smile as she took a seat next to Souji. "Would you mind if we asked you a few things though?"

"Uh, sure, go ahead." Kanji didn't move, unsure of where to take a seat or what would happen if he tried. He kept glancing at Yosuke nervously out of the corner of his eye, as if waiting for the headphone-clad teen to suddenly attack him.

"Great!" Chie smiled, "First off, who was that boy you met with?"

"Boy…?" Kanji frowned, "What boy?"

"The short one with a blue hat," Yosuke provided, "Didn't you two go on a date or something?"

Souji sighed as the first-year male jumped, a look of shock on his face. "W-what! A date! That—no! I-I really don't know much about him! I mean, I've only met him twice…"

"Well, yeah, we figured," the martial artist nodded, flashing Yosuke a disapproving look. "But you two walked home from school together, right? What did you talk about?"

"Uh, well…" Kanji glanced around the group, unsure how what he had to say would relate. "He just asked a bunch of weird questions like if anything had changed or if something different happened recently. I don't really remember most of it… My head was somewhere else completely, when I came to my senses, I blurted out that I wanted to see the guy again."

"Whoa, seriously?" Yosuke's jaw dropped as he stared at Kanji in shock, "To a guy? Man, I was kidding about the date thing, I didn't think you two were seriously going to start dat-"

"They're not!" Souji snapped at the same time Kanji said "We're not!"

"I… I didn't really get it myself," the blond-male continued as Souji began flicking small pebbles in Yosuke's direction. "I just… I dunno. Girls are always so loud and obnoxious, so… y'know, I don't really like dealing with 'em. Guys are a lot more laid-back."

"Hey!" Chie protested, pouting. "That's not fair…"

"Wh-what? No! You two seem alright an' all, but… Dammit. I don't know. I just… I started thinking… What if I'm the type who never gets interested in girls?"

"Huh?" Yosuke's jaw dropped slightly, "You think you're g-" Before he could finish, a particularly sharp pebble struck the brunette in the cheek, making his gasp in pain. "Aw, come on! What the hell, dude? Stop hitting me with those!"

"Be quiet, Yosuke…" the martial-artist beside him scolded. "Let Kanji-kun finish."

"Please, do…" Souji muttered, picking up another rock just in case. "Kanji?"

"…A-anyway," the ex-punk shifted his weight from foot to foot and shrugged. "I couldn't really accept that, so I started getting all lost up in my head like I was spinning around and around…"

"That's understandable," the investigation leader said, nodding in understanding. "Most would."

"At least I can understand the part about feeling more relaxed around dudes…" the brunette male murmured.  
"No offense to you two, it's just a guy thing."

"I'm sure it is," Chie responded dryly. "I'll be sure to remember that the next time you ask me to come over and help you 'relax.' I'm sure Yukiko would love a backrub."

"I—what? Backrub?" Yukiko repeated, looking confused. "What…?"

"Don't worry, Yukiko," the brunette female snorted, enjoying the pout on Yosuke's face. "I'm just making sure Yosuke behaves."

"Um…?"

"In any case," Souji cleared his throat loudly. "How are you feeling now, Kanji?"

"Huh?" Kanji blinked, jumping as he was addressed unexpectedly before smiling with a nod. "I'm fine now, thanks. When you get right down to it, I was the one shutting all that stuff out—it was all just a big mess in my head, ya know?"

The silverette nodded in response and flicked another pebble at Yosuke. The brunette hadn't done anything yet, but the 'target practice' was just so much fun.

"Dude! Come on!"

"Shh," the squad leader grinned "Kanji is talking."

"Uh… Well, our family's run a textile shop for generations… Oh, but I guess you already knew that. You've been around to visit before. My parents are kinda weird… They say stuff like, 'Dyes are one with the universe' and 'Cloth is alive!' I grew up around that stuff, so I've been interested in sewing and stuff since I was a kid."

"Wow…" Chie muttered, "You must be really good at handy-stuff then."

"I guess," Kanji shrugged. "Ma is better than I am, but still, the second I say stuff like that, people start giving me funny looks. Girls make fun of me, the people in the neighbourhood treat me like I'm some sort of crazed zoo animal… I was so sick of everything. I dunno, once I realised what I was doing, I saw I was running wild."

By now, the entire group was listening to Kanji with undivided attention. Yosuke's jaw had gone unnaturally tight as he shifted in his seat, with a look somewhere between discomfort and guilt; Chie was nodding slowly, a look of understanding on her face; while Yukiko watched him with rapt attention and her hands folded neatly in her lap. Souji's gaze, as it had been for most of their time on the roof, remained carefully locked with Kanji's face. The blond blushed faintly and looked embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his head, "Shit, what is with me today? I'm just blabbing about myself. Uh, just forget everything I said, alright? Man… I must look really lame right now."

"Yeah," Souji nodded absently. "Just a little bit."

Jaws dropped collectively around the roof as everyone turned to their leader, the answer completely unexpected. "I-I… uh, w-well…"

The silverette smiled as he stood up and walked over to the ex-punk and placed a hand on his shoulder, "A joke," he explained quietly. "You're much cooler than you give yourself credit for."

Kanji coughed in response and shrugged, a pale pink blush coating his cheeks. "N-nah, I doubt it." He shrugged again, earning a smile from Souji before the silverette sat back down, gesturing for him to keep talking. "It's just… I've never gotten a chance to talk about this kinda stuff before, ya know? It's… sort of refreshing to let some of it out. I just… never had anyone to tell it to before."

Souji nodded in understanding with Yosuke and Chie, while Yukiko looked up at the other in guilt. She bit her lower lip and sighed softly as she tugged at the hem of her sweater. "I'm sorry, Kanji-kun. We used to play so often as children… I haven't been there for you at all when you needed someone most. I hadn't realised how poor of a friend I'd become."

The statement took the entire group by surprise. Beside her, Chie looked torn; the urge to comfort her friend was strong, but she couldn't stop a faint sense of guilt—what if she was the one who pulled Yukiko's attention away from him? Yosuke was oddly quiet, looking at the inn-keeper without knowing what to say. The silence was awkward, making them all uncomfortable and tense. Just as Souji was about to open his mouth, Kanji stepped forward and sat beside the dark-haired female with a smile. "Don't worry about it, Yukiko-senpai," he said, patting the girl's shoulder lightly. "It's fine; I pulled away myself; started getting' all… rough and stuff. It wasn't your fault. I should have been more level-headed about everything."

"But, Kanji-kun…" Yukiko began, but she was cut off before she could finish.

"Forget it; we're talkin' now, ain't we? No need to get so upset over the past."

"…Wow," Chie muttered, looking at the blond in awe. "Kanji-kun, I have no idea you were so… _mature."_

If possible, Kanji's face turned redder than the sweater of the girl beside him. He opened his mouth, lips moving wordlessly as he tried to come up with a response, but only managed an embarrassed cough. Yukiko's eyes sparkled softly in delight as she laughed and patted Kanji's knee. "She's right you know, you're very mature, Kanji-kun."

"I'm not—dammit, why are we even _talking_ about this?"

"It's fun watching you turn funny colours." Souji grinned beside Kanji, "You make it too easy."

"…Shut up," the blond grumbled, rubbing the bottom of his nose sheepishly. "A-anyway, like I was sayin', sorry for rambling earlier. I just… I dunno. I never knew how to talk to people. I thought I was terrified of girls, but I guess, most than anything, I was scared of being rejected by everyone. But I guess that's all behind me now, huh?"

"Aw, how cute," Chie grinned. "You're such a good kid."

"Wh-what? Don't say shit like that!"

"Aw, come on…" Yosuke chuckled and leaned forward to get a better look at the 'punk.' "You're a big man, you can take it."

The laughter that followed after made Kanji's cheeks go red, but he appeared to be adjusting to the group's jests quickly. Soon, the group was sitting in the food court of Junes, explaining the situation of the murders and how things worked to Kanji. He nodded quietly with each explanation and leaned forward, resting his arms in his lap as he processed what was going on. A strange look crossed his features when the subject of the television being used for murders came up, and Souji nearly choked on his juice when the blond asked if it was being used to 'beat people to death,' but aside from that, things went rather smoothly, and everyone was grateful for it.

By the time they finished, the hour was growing late and most of the popular of Inaba was making their way home. Once they reached the entrance of Junes, the investigation squad bid each other farewell and went off on their separate ways. Just as Souji was about to head down his own road, Kanji's voice called out from behind him, "H-hey! Wait up! Uh, Senpai!"

The silverette stopped and turned around, waiting for Kanji to catch up. The taller male paused, taking a moment to catch his breath from his sudden sprint before he straightened, looking awkward as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, sorry for calling you out like that, Senpai—can I call you that? Senpai?"

"It's fine," Souji nodded, "How can I help?"

"I was just wonderin' if we could talk for a bit while we're walking. I won't take up too much of your time. There's just… somethin' bothering me and I thought you'd be the best guy to go to. You've got such a firm head on your shoulders."

The squad-leader raised his eyebrow at the comment but shrugged lightly and nodded, gesturing for Kanji to walk with him. This was certainly something new; he hadn't expected Kanji to ask to walk with him at all. His memories had always served him well, and he couldn't remember a time when the other had approached him—not until they'd started talking more frequently and grown closer to one another. Even still, it had taken the silverette almost a full month before the blond had gained the courage to approach him instead. "Well, uh… Man, this is gonna sound so lame; I'm just whinin' like a little kid…"

"We won't know that until you tell me what the problem is," Souji teased lightly. "You don't have to worry about things like that; I don't judge. …Much."

It took Kanji a few moments to realise the older male was joking with him, but the laugh that followed was much more relaxed than Souji had originally hoped for. The blond shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets as started walking together. When they reached the first fork in the road, the silverette was surprised to see the ex-punk turn right instead of left—that lead toward the Flood Plain. His curiosity spiked, but he remained quiet, waiting for Kanji to speak first.

It wasn't until they reached the river that he finally did.

"Uh…" Kanji began, kicking at the dirt with the toe of his shoe. "So… I guess we're on the same team now, huh?"

"We are," Souji nodded. "We're all happy to have you."

"…I guess."

Souji's head inclined to the side in a questioning gesture, it was easy to see the blond was troubled, but prying was just more likely to silence him. Instead, he waited, observing the other carefully.

"A-are you sure it's like… okay for me to be helpin' out? I mean… I dunno. I don't want anyone all freaked out. I really don't want face that again. Don't get me wrong! You're all really cool and all, just…"

The squad-leader blinked, "Just?"

"…You know," Kanji shrugged lightly and looked toward the water. "…What Yosuke-senpai said and all. I dunno if he really wants me around."

"Yosuke?" Surprise flashed across Souji's face before a sudden understanding settled in his eyes. It wasn't surprising to see how uncomfortable the other was; even he'd been surprised by Yosuke's new choice of words at Junes, despite their likely teasing intent. "Ah…"

_"As long as he doesn't try to kiss me or give random hugs to guys like SOMEONE we know—OW! CHIE!"_

"I was just wondering if… if maybe that kind of thing was _wrong_ or something. I don't really care if it's guys or girls, but what if I _do_ like dudes? I dunno if I do, never really had a chance to like much of anyone, but I—"

"There's nothing wrong with it," the silverette assured the younger male quickly. "Nothing at all. It's just… a very sensitive subject, I think."

"Sensitive?"

Souji nodded, "I don't think he's trying to attack you, he's just… awkward about it, and Yosuke seems to try and bring laughter into a situation where there is discomfort or awkwardness to avoid making it even more-so. He's just sensitive."

"Tch," Kanji snorted, "Yeah, tell me about it. Guess I can understand that a bit, at least. You get all these ideas in your head when you're young, and then shit happens and it all makes you wonder, ya know?"

The silver-haired male nodded with a faint smile, "Don't let it get to you. I'll talk to Yosuke and see if I can get him to calm down; he gives me the same jokes."

"He gives you the same… huh? Senpai, are you—"

This time it was Souji's turn to snort, "I'm not, but I don't see anything wrong with it either way. We love who we love; you can't judge someone based on who their heart desires."

"Whoa," Kanji stared up at the silverette in aw, "That's… that's kinda deep."

"Aha, no, not really," Souji stood up and stretched, watching as two fish darted around in the clear water after one another. "Are you feeling any better then?"

The blond looked thoughtful for a moment then stood up as well, nodding. "Yeah, guess I am. Thanks for listening to me, Senpai."

"No problem, don't ever hesitate to come to me if you need help."

"I'll remember that."

With the mood lightened considerably, the two left the Flood Plain and started toward the Central Shopping District. Their conversation was much lighter than before, keeping on vague subjects that didn't require much thought to them. Overall, it was comfortable than before, and Kanji seemed to have fallen into a much more eased stance. They reached Tatsumi Textiles fairly quickly and bid each other farewell, but just as Kanji was about to walk inside, Souji called out, stopping him.

"Somethin' up?"

"No, not really," the older male shrugged lightly. "Just wanted to know if I'd be seeing you at school tomorrow."

The ex-punk stared at the silver-haired male in awe, his jaw dropping slightly. After a few minutes, he managed to compose himself and grinned, giving the other the thumbs up. "Yeah, you can count on it. See ya tomorrow, Senpai."

* * *

By the time Souji had made it back to the Dojima household, he was slowly adjusting to the ever-growing confidence he had for the situation he was in. Thusfar, it seemed as if this year was going even better than the last, and he was sure it would continue to do so. He was still concerned with some of the rather unusual changes with Yosuke, but he was confident that they'd pass in time—after all, the brunette had proved to be the most loyal friend he could have ever hoped for. He wasn't the type to enjoy causing others pain; he'd more than likely listen to Souji if he asked.

"Welcome home, big bro," Nanako smiled faintly from her place in front of the television. "You're home late today."

"I know, I'm sorry…" he walked over to his usual cushion and sat down, glancing briefly at the cartoon that was currently playing. "Is Uncle Dojima going to be late again?"

The young brunette hesitated, a sad look filling her normally bright eyes before she nodded slowly, "Yeah… He said that he had to help out one of the newer officers with something. He said he was really sorry."

"I see…" Souji sighed and brought his chin to rest in the palm of his hand. No matter how many times it happened, the depressed aura that surrounded Nanako whenever her father wouldn't be home affected him just as badly as it had the first time. He turned his neck, looking toward the kitchen with a calculating gaze. "Why don't we make dinner together then? We'll make a lot and keep it warm until he gets home. I'm sure your dad wouldn't mind you staying up late for just one night. I'll take the blame if he gets upset."

"Huh?" Nanako's eyes widened as she pressed her hands against the surface of the table and leaned forward, eager. "R-really?"

"Sure," the silver-haired male grinned. "Why not? It'll be fun."

The brunette girl beamed and leapt to her feet, running around the table to tug on older boy's arm. "Let's do it! Let's do it! Oooh, can we make omelettes? O-oh! And croquettes! And Yakisoba and—"

Smiling, Souji followed his cousin into the kitchen, silently listening off all the ingredients they would need to make the dishes she was naming. "Guess this means we'll have to run out to Junes, huh?"

"Junes! W-we can go to Junes?"

The silverette chuckled lightly and nodded. "We're going to have to; we don't want to miss anything for this banquette of ours, after all."

"Yay! Everyday's great at your Junes!"


	14. To Strengthen One's Bonds

I am happy to report... I'm not dead! Unfortunately, the doctors still don't know what on earth is wrong with me, but happily, it's slowly getting better. The current best guess is that I was suffering from a fairly severe pulmonary infection that's slowly starting to fade away. Happily, I can finally function again without suddenly feeling as if I'm going to fall over at any given moment. So that's nice. School is still very stressful since I have to struggle to make up for the semester in which I was suffering from what I often call "the plague" in a feeble attempt to make myself feel better about the entire issue.

Regardless, I'm finally starting to get better. That is the moral of this story. I offer my sincerest apologies once again for all the delays in updates. I'm trying as hard as I am able to balance this, schoolwork, and using tumblr. I'm still roleplaying Naoto Shirogane on tumblr (still the same name as this account), which is why I've been so distracted from this story-it's worked as a wonderful stress relief for me while being sick and I'm more than thankful for all the people I've met there and been able to roleplay with. I can almost always be contacted through there, and if anyone else roleplays Persona 4, I'd be more than happy to try and roleplay with you. It helps me keep the proper mindset.

Many thanks to _**Fiyerna**_ and Chizuo for betaing this for me. It's helped a lot.

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: **_To Strengthen One's Bonds_

As the final bell rang, Souji sighed and leaned back in his seat, staring up at the ceiling. School days were, at best, slowly growing more tedious. He had always been the studious type, and it had served him well the first time he'd lived in Inaba, but now that he was living through the year a second time and he was able to easily remember most of the topics covered. Learning them again, exactly as they had been before, was boring. When it came to school, there was only so much the silver-haired teen could change without coming off as the class-clown or earning the reputation of a cocky know-it-all. Granted, the knowledge provided him with the chance to have a little 'fun' every few days as he had in the beginning of the year, doing it too often would only backfire on him.

_Maybe I should skip once in a while,_ he thought absently. _I'm sure Ai would enjoy hearing that if she still remembered when she used to drag me off. She told me I was too stiff... It might be nice to get back to the city once in a while._ As tempting as the idea was, Souji was unsure if pulling through with it would be safe. If he did it too often, he'd be caught. But there was also the risk of running into someone he knew outside of Yasogami while he was out, the least appealing of them all being his uncle, Adachi, or Naoto. While he prided himself for being good with words, Souji was doubtful he would have been able to save himself from the situation easily—if at all.

"Souji-kun?" The silverette craned his neck to look in the direction of the voice that called him, regarding Yukiko with a questioning look. The raven stood a few feet behind him, a hesitant look on her face as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, hands clasped behind her back.

"Yukiko?" he straightened himself and turned around in his char. "Do you need something?"

Yukiko's expression changed, a shy smile crossing her lips as she nodded and stepped forward, sitting down in Chie's seat. Her eyes briefly lingered on the top of the desk, a distant look dancing in her dark irises before she turned to Souji again and allowed her smile to become a little more natural. "I was wondering if you could help me with something again. I found a recipe I wanted to try in one of the cookbooks at the inn, but it had a few variations and I wasn't sure which ingredients would be best for it."

"Ingredients?" Souji repeated, "Do you have the recipe with you?"

"I do, but..." the inn-keeper hesitated for a second time and looked at her lap, wringing her fingers together. "I was... hoping we'd be able to go to Junes together. I don't have to help out at the inn today, and it'd be nice to have somewhere to go instead of straight home for once—unless you're busy, of course. Then..."

"I'm not busy," the silver-haired male cut Yukiko off. "I don't have anything to do until later tonight."

"Are you sure?" Yukiko asked in a concerned tone. "I'd hate to cut into your homework time."

"We don't have very much today," Souji said with a light shrug. "It's no trouble—besides, we might see Yosuke. I haven't tormented at him at work for a few days. I'm low on my quota."

The raven inn-keeper laughed softly and smiled. "I'm almost jealous," she admitted. "You and Yosuke seem to get along so well. He doesn't normally take to teasing very well, but you two joke together so often—it's like you've been friends for years."

"We're not that special," the male said with a small laugh. "I guess we just 'hit it off.' Wasn't it the same for you? Yosuke and I can't be much different than you and Chie. If anything, you two have to be closer because you've been friends for so long."

The effect of the words was almost immediate; Yukiko's shoulders slumped as her eyes became distant and she forced a weak smile. Just as quickly as the look had appeared, however, it disappeared as she began to speak, "Yeah... I suppose so."

Despite her efforts to hide it, the shift in demeanour didn't go unnoticed by Souji. Just as the silverette opened his mouth to speak, a figure brushed past him and stopped beside Yukiko, placing a hand on the young woman's shoulder. "Hey, Yukiko! There you are. I'm glad I caught you."

"H-huh? Chie?" Yukiko stiffened as she looked up at her brunette friend, shock melting onto her features. "What are you still doing here? I thought you had plans with Yosuke today." To most, it likely sounded very normal, but there was something off in the way she said Yosuke's name. It was subtle, very subtle, so much so that the male of the small group barely caught it, yet the feeling of something almost _resentful_ was there. He didn't like it at all. As far as he'd noticed, the 'new year' had been going so well, if conflict started now, he wouldn't know what to do.

"We were _supposed _to," Chie sighed in response, leaning against the desk Yukiko sat at. "The idiot got himself in trouble; he's got detention."

"...detention?" Souji repeated, shaking his head in disapproval. "What did he do this time?"

"King Moron caught him when he was sleeping earlier today. He _sprinted_ down the hallway to catch me and Yosuke before we could leave. It was kinda scary... I didn't know he could move that quickly." There was a pregnant pause as a shiver ran down the spines of all three teens. "Anyway, he's got dragged off to the teacher's offices to serve his punishment or something... it bites."

Beside Chie, Yukiko shared Souji's displeased sigh. "Not again... He really should go to sleep sooner so this doesn't keep happening."

"No kidding," the brunette martial-artist agreed. "So, um..."

"Um...?"

"Would you guys... mind if I tagged along? I heard you talking about Junes on my way back up to grab something from my desk—and I really need to pick a few things up anyway—so..."

"I think that's a good idea," Souji said with a soft smile. "I wouldn't mind. What do you think, Yukiko?"

Yukiko's posture straightened as she looked up at her friend with a wide smile, "I don't mind at all," her tone sounded happier as well. It calmed Souji's nerves greatly. "Maybe we can cook something together? The camping trip is coming up soon! We should start practising."

"Oh man... that's right!" Chie grinned, "I almost forgot about that. We have to make our own food for that."

In the back of his mind, Souji was almost positive he heard several of his Personae let out a pained whimper at the mere idea of facing 'Mystery Food X' again. Of all the memories he'd gained back, that was one of the few he'd have been happier to face the year without.

* * *

"Oooh... Chie, come over here. Look at these vegetables; they're so colourful and fresh."

Souji watched quietly from behind as Yukiko beckoned her friend across the small produce section. While he was glad that the raven's mood seem to have increased dramatically since Chie had been welcomed to their small Junes trip, each time one of the girls picked something up, he couldn't hold back a small wince. The less-than-happy memories of the so-called 'lunch' the girls had made before was as fresh in his mind as it had been the day it was placed in front of him. His bravery was something that the silver-haired male had always taken pride in, but the valour was quickly being diminished by the ghost-like taste memory that lingered on his tongue.

Every few minutes, he would attempt to cut into the females conversation by suggesting the simplest meals he could think of in the vain hope that one of them might not turn out as disastrous as before, but each one was turned down. According to Yukiko's claim, the two of them wanted to make something 'special' since Souji—he noted an odd lack of Yosuke in that statement—had been so kind and helpful to them all this time. Unfortunately for him, his assurances that he didn't require anything special or elegant were also ignored.

"What about curry?" Chie suggested, glancing at Yukiko as she reached for a cucumber, oblivious to the horrified grimace Souji made behind her. "I know Yosuke really likes that, and it wouldn't be too complicated to make, right?"

"I—huh?" Yukiko jumped at the question and dropped the package of eggs that she'd been holding, causing several of them to pop out of the foam container and crack on the floor, just barely missing the inn-keeper's shoes.

"Whoa! Yukiko, are you okay?"

The dark-haired women gasped sharply as she stared at the newly created mess and bit her lower lip, kneeling down to pick up the fallen egg-carrier. "Oh, I... Um, yes. I'm sorry. I've been so klutzy lately, I don't know what's gotten into me."

"If... you say so." Chie frowned as she glanced over her shoulder at Souji, who was watching the raven with a frown of his own. Even if what she had said was the truth, there was just something... off. It didn't seem right. "So, uh... about the lunch?"

"Oh!" Yukiko laughed awkwardly and nodded, giving Chie a forced smile. "Right, what were you suggesting before?"

"Curry," the brunette female repeated. "It shouldn't be too hard to make and Yosuke-"

"_I don't want to make something for him!" _Yukiko shouted as she threw the eggs she'd just picked up back to the ground.

The sudden explosion from the young woman made both Souji and Chie jump violently. Souji winced and took a half-step forward, worried what was going to follow after. Yukiko, as kind and gentle as she was, had shown on several occasions that her temper could become violent when it appeared as suddenly as it had moments ago. Beside her, Chie had reeled backward in surprise.

"Y-Yukiko? What—h-hey! Wait a second!" Before the martial-artist could finish, Yukiko had already turned on her heel and sprinted for the stairs. For several seconds, Chie remained perfectly still, petrified with shock and fear. It wasn't until a hand clasped her shoulder gently that she was violently pulled from her daze. "H-huh!"

"Go on," Souji urged quietly, his tone unusually serious. "I'll take care of the mess, you go after her. She likely needs you much more than she'd need me right now."

"...Right," Chie nodded, flashing the silverette a grateful look. "Thanks, Souji-kun."

As he watched the brunette female sprint after her friend, Souji couldn't help but feel a small tug of guilt as he thought the situation over. Yosuke and Chie had gotten together because of the his prodding he had given them; he'd only meant to help. The previous year had been spent watching them dance around each other so often it drove him near-mad, especially when nothing had seemed to come of it, but this... this had been far from expected. Yukiko wasn't supposed to have suffered from this—no one was.

Sighing, Souji silently hoped for the best as he retrieved the cart Yukiko had been pushing earlier and located an employee to tell them about the mess before he made his way downstairs to the check-out.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Chie..." Souji heard Yukiko's voice floating through the lobby as he stepped off the elevator, freshly paid-for bags in hand. "I've been acting so childish lately... I really should be happy for you two." The silver-eyed male paused, stepping to the side as he allowed the small crowd behind him to exit the lift before he glanced to the western side of the lobby. It looked like Chie had been able to keep Yukiko from leaving after all.

"No, Yukiko, that's..." Chie struggled to form the right words as she kicked the linoleum floor with the toe of her show—a habit Souji learned long ago the martial-artist would compulsively repeat when nervous. "You don't have to apologise. I mean, I'm the one who needs to get her act together. I... I didn't even notice that I'd been blowing you off this while time. I just—ugh! I feel so... _stupid!_ And after all we've been through these past few weeks inside that other world... I haven't held up my end of things at all. A-after everything I said after facing myself... and after you faced yours... I'm... so sorry, Yukiko."

"Chie..." the raven-haired inn-keeper stepped forward and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, a soft, but genuine smile gracing her lips. "Please don't apologise. I shouldn't have acted the way I did. I should have gone to you about it sooner. I was just... worried that you'd think I was being overly jealous or end up pulling you away from Yosuke completely and just—o-oh! Souji-kun, I didn't see you there."

Gasping softly, Chie turned abruptly and stared at at Souji with wide eyes, a look of shame crossing her features. "Souji-kun..." She winced with a sigh and looked off to the side, "Ahaha... How long have you been listening to us?"

"Not very..." he admitted with a light shrug. "I just got off the elevator and found you two. I'm glad you managed to catch each other."

"Yeah..." the brunette martial-artist sighed and turned to Yukiko again. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would form and she shut it again, looking to the floor once more.

"Hey," Souji began softly, shifting his gaze between the two girls, "if there's anything I could do to help..."

"Um, well, actually," Yukiko began tentatively, glancing at Chie who was pointedly avoiding the raven's eyes. "As much as we appreciate the offer, Souji-kun, I think this is something the two of us should talk over on our own." Beside her, the brown-haired female looked up in surprise, relief melting onto her features shortly after.

"Oh?" Souji felt himself smiling as he replied "I'm glad to hear that. I'm sure it'll all go well then." Relief poured through the silverette as he offered Yukiko the plastic bags of food. There had been a number of times in which he'd feared his presence was bad for those around him. It wasn't that he was particularly confident with himself or that he believed he was better than anyone by any means, but the levels to which the others appeared to rely on him was alarming at times. It calmed him to know their bonds with each other were growing just as deep.

Yukiko took the offered bags with a confused expression and peered inside, a look of shock following shortly after. "Oh! Souji-kun, you didn't have to pay for these—here, let me get my wallet and..."

"There's no need for that," the silver-eyed male said with a wave of his hand. "As long as you two promise to talk and work things out, consider that thanks enough. I look forward to what the two of you put together for the camping trip."

"Souji-kun..." Chie looked up, guilt crossing her features. "Wait, that's not really not-"

"_Forget it,"_ Souji said with a firmer voice. "I already paid for it, after all. Besides, you can always get more if you're that worried about it. Maybe you could practice with that."

"Thank you," Yukiko smiled softly. "You really are a kind person, Souji-kun. That girl... she's a lucky one."

"Huh?" the martial-artist blinked and turned to her raven friend, curious. "What girl?"

"Oh, um... just a friend of his he mentioned before. I'm sorry, Chie. It's nothing. Why don't we go to the inn for now? We can talk in my room and I'll make us tea."

"...Wh—really?" Immediately, the brunette's face brightened. "Oh! Can you make that really good fruity-stuff you made the last time I came over?"

"Ahaha, of course. We still have the leaves. I saved them special just for your visits."

"Woohoo! Yukiko, you're the greatest...!"

Shaking his head as he watched the two females walk off, the silverette smiled and made his way toward the doors himself. He needed to hurry if he wanted to make it to work early today; he planned to go in early and depart a few hours before his usual. He still had to prepare "emergency provisions" for the trip.

* * *

Dragging his sleeve across his forehead, Souji grabbed the bottle of cleaner fluid sitting on the cleaning cart he left sitting in the middle of the floor and started toward the windows. Just as he began to spray the second of the two glass panels, an eerie creek sounded from somewhere behind him and he paused, worried for a moment that someone had entered the ward. His gaze was only met with the empty room and the male found himself shaking his head with a small smile. The first time he came to work there, the various noises and creaks he heard in the hospital had been enough to send chills down his spine and make the poker-face he prided himself on fall long enough to earn a gasp, or even a strangled gulp. Yet, hearing them again, it was almost nostalgic in a humorous way. Why he found them to be so frightening before was a mystery, but when compared to the Shadows found in the TV World, the noises seemed completely moot in comparison.

"Except for maybe Naoto," he mused to himself with a small laugh. _There is nothing in this world more terrifying than her when she's angry... _Fortunately for him, the silverette had only seem the sleuth's full-blown anger once when they were alone, just once, and it hadn't been directed at him. This was a fact he was very grateful for, as there was a point five minutes into the sleuth's rage that he'd started to fear for the safety of himself and the room around them once Naoto had taken to pointing her revolver at random objects in an attempt to calm herself down.

The silverette continued moving through the room diligently, switching off the cleaners as required until he finished and tossed his rag back onto the cart with a satisfied sigh, realizing he finished the last room for the day. A quick glance at the clock told him it was just a few minutes after nine in the evening. As long as he didn't take too much time getting home, he'd still be able to prepare the back-up lunch for Friday and put in a pre-order for a meal from Aiya to be delivered Saturday morning.

"I picked up the supplies yesterday," the silver-haired male murmured to himself as he grabbed his cart and pushed his way out into the hallway. "I should be able to get enough sleep as long as I don't mess around. Dojima's and Nanako's bentos for while I'm gone are finished..."

Moving on auto-pilot, the investigation squad leader dropped the cleaning supplies off in the janitors closet and locked the doors before he dropped off his keys and made his way toward the locker room. The trip would have been a simple one: get in, change, and get out... he hadn't expected complications, but as soon as he arrived, the silverette questioned why he bothered being surprised about it anymore.

"Hey there, handsome..." a smooth and feminine voice called from behind as a pair of arms slipped around his shoulders. "You're leaving early today. You didn't think you'd escape me so easily, did you?"

"...Hello, Sayoko." Souji responded, allowing his expression to melt into a well practised poker-face. "I didn't think I'd see you this evening. My shift just ended."

"I noticed," Sayoko's smooth voice pouted as the night-nurse slipped in front of the silverette, arms still wrapped around his neck. "Leaving without saying goodbye? After all we've been through? I'm hurt."

The silver-haired teen's eyebrow quirked upward in question as he raised his hands to gently grab her wrists, intending on removing the woman's arms from his neck. "It wasn't my intention to hurt you," he said, "I just promised my cousin I'd be home early tonight. Nanako, remember? I showed you her picture."

"Ouch," Sayoko gasped dramatically. "Not only am I being left without a goodbye, but for another woman? How many other women _are_ there?"

Souji allowed himself a small chuckle as he shook his head. As carefree as the nurse forced herself to appear to be, he could remember well the much more serious, work-oriented and determined nurse he met toward the later half of his 'previous' year. Playing along with her little games was easy enough, and by doing so, it was his hope that he'd be able to see that side just a little more before she left the country again. "More? You give me too much credit, I only have one that I'm af-"

"Ahem." The unexpected addition of a third voice to their conversation made Souji jump as he whipped his head to the side and winced as the effects of whiplash caught up with him. No one had ever walked in on them before, not like this. He opened his mouth, prepared to offer a casual explanation for the position, but the voice that followed made his blood run cold. It had _not_ been an employee who walked in on them. "...Seta-san? Am I interrupting something?"

"N-Naoto! I...!"

"Oh my..." Sayoko grinned as she leaned over Souji's shoulder to get a better look at the young detective in front of them. "This is unexpected. You're that little detective prince everyone is talking about recently. I've seen your picture in a few magazine articles." The brunette's eyes shifted back to the male she currently had trapped in her arms and the grin grew far too fox-like for Souji's tastes. "My, my... You're a sly dog. Looks like you really can capture just about any heart you want. And here I was worried that I was being out-done by another woman. Guess I joined the game just a little too late, hm?"

Without waiting for a response, the night-nurse pulled away from Souji and walked suavely over to Naoto and slipped an arm around the sleuth's shoulders, making her jump. "Don't get too jealous, handsome. I've never seen that boy so much as flinch before, and he's been our little doggy for a few weeks now. I'd say you've got him right in your pocket. Just look at that sparkle in his eyes. How cute." Laughing, she pulled away from a now very disgruntled Naoto and waved over her shoulder as she walked to the door. "You two have fun now. Try not to mess up any of the cots too badly—you just cleaned them after all."

Much to Naoto's relief, Souji had the decency to turn a rather interesting shade of red and attempted a failed, sputtered response. Though she was quite sure her face matched the colour of his perfectly. "...The friends you have managed to acquire are certainly unique," she commented dryly. "You truly do attract all types."

Shaking his head, the silvertte sighed softly and rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to calm himself down enough to talk evenly. "Sayoko is a good person," he assured. "She just... She flirts with others because it makes things easier—it's her way of coping with the stress of her job. Her heart is in the right place."

"Is that so?" Naoto asked, frowning. "She seemed to favour you quite a bit... I've seen her around the hospital before."

Souji shrugged lightly with a grin and inclined his head to the side, "Good listeners seem to be well-received, in my experience. She talks, I listen, then offer advice as best I can. But she likes to tease, I can't deny that. Still, she doesn't mean anything by..."

"By...?" Naoto repeated, frowning as the other suddenly began regarding her with a quizzical expression.

"Strange..."

"I don't believe you're in any position to be accusing another of being 'strange', Seta-san. Though I admit, I am curious. Please elaborate on this observation of yours."

The silver-haired male laughed lightly and shook his head, indicating he meant no offence. "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way, but I think I'll point out the obvious question. Are you here for a social call, or did something happen?" A worried look crossed his features as he suddenly felt something in his chest constrict painfully. "You're not hurt, are you? You—no, wait... your grandfather isn't..."

Naoto tensed at the question and suddenly averted her gaze to the floor. She bit her lower lip, pulling it into her mouth slightly as a hand came to rest on her hip and she shifted her weight from one foot to the other and adjusted her shoulders. She was trying to straighten herself; appear stronger, in-control, _calm._ Souji knew the gestures well. He also knew when they were being used to conceal fear or concern.

"To be honest," she began quietly, suddenly deflated as she raised her gaze and met the male's briefly. There was just something about those _eyes_ that made it too difficult to lie properly. "I do not know at the current time. Grampa was experiencing some troubles with breathing and chest pain earlier this evening. I cannot recall a time this has happened before, nor had Yakushiji-san, thus we thought it best that he meet with a doctor as soon as possible."

"I see..." Souji mumbled and tried to mask the worry growing in his chest; Naoto didn't need that right now. The silverette had long-since grown accustomed to taking on the position of "support" for others without even thinking about it. It taught him to guard his emotions well, after all, a pillar couldn't have cracks, least it fall from baring too much weight. "I hope he's alright."

The sleuth could only nod in response as she shrunk back slightly, trying to make herself appear smaller under the careful gaze of the older male. She didn't like how he seemed to see past her barriers so easily, she didn't like that at all. Each time he looked at her, the dark-haired female had a mixed sensation of comfort and fear. It was as if she were the criminal in the interrogation room and Souji represented both the good cop and the bad one. Each lie she attempted to offer was immediately tossed right back at her feet, but the moment she felt uncomfortable the caring, comforting understanding was back and she was left feeling at ease again. "Yes... I hope so as well. I'm sure it is nothing of note, but..."

"Should we go check on him? I admit, I won't be able to get much sleep tonight if I don't find out for sure if he's okay or not. I never got the chance to meet him, but..."

Naoto's eyes snapped back up to Souji and she gulped, shaking her head slowly as she attempted to calm herself down. There was that damned comforting aura he emitted whenever she seemed to need it most. "No, there's no need for that. I believe I heard you speaking with the nurse just a few moments ago that you needed to return home in order to see your cousin. I'm sure he will be out soon, so-" the sleuth paused, surprise suddenly melting into her expression. "I beg your pardon? You... won't be able to sleep?"

"Well," Souji smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, "not just from worrying about him. Namely my concerns would fall around you, I know how much he means to you."

Naoto opened her mouth to respond, but found no words would form. She covered for the slip by clearing her throat and looking off to the side to hide the embarrassed look forming on her features. "There is not need for you to worry about me, I'd much rather your concerns were aimed at him."

The silver-eyed leader nodded once, but continued to look concerned. "If you're certain." His response was a nod from Naoto and he allowed himself to relax slightly, a smile suddenly gracing his features. "Before I forget... You have nothing to feel jealous about. I swore I could only love one person, and that won't be changing. Even if you... even if you don't remember it."

"Wh-wha..." The sleuth's cheeks coloured as she stared at Souji in a mix shock and flustered embarrassment. Her eyes looked at everything in the room but him, and she reached up with a slender hand, tugging her cap down by it's brim as she straightened her shoulders. "I most certainly was not _jealous _of that woman. Such emotions are both childish and unbecoming—nor do I have reason to be, for that matter."

"Ah," Souji winced, his eyes reflecting a hint of pain he struggled to conceal as he forced an uneasy laugh. "Why would you feel jealous if I was only an acquaintance?"

"E-exactly," Naoto stammered, feeling more heat rush to her cheeks as she tried desperately to force it away. "I've no need to be jealous of someone who is clearly much too old for you and hasn't a chance. You don't strike me as the type who would aim for a 'cougar.'"

The sudden change in tone and body language slipped by the silverette's radar only briefly. The pain which had previously been in his eyes disappeared almost immediately as it was replaced with pain and amusement. The hope that maybe, just maybe, he might regain the old bond with the dark-haired female was renewed once more. Maybe it wouldn't be as hard to befriend her without the assistance of her Shadow—he did know her best, after all. "No, you're right." He grinned, "I prefer someone close to my own age. Intelligent. Rather quiet, but not without the spirit to stand up for herself if she deems it necessary. A problem solver... and I wouldn't say no to an adorable blush."

"Is that so?" Naoto asked with a sceptical tone, the blush forgotten as her eyebrow arched upward. "You are the master of subtlety, Seta-san. You should consider taking it up as a profession."

Chuckling, the male shook his head, "I choose honesty over subtlety. Besides, how can I be subtle around you? It's never worked for me before. You're impossible to surprise."

"...You seem to have acquired the unfortunate talent for managing to pull that off," Naoto murmured, her lips prusing slightly in distaste. "It's concerning."

"Aha, hopefully it will eventually become more endearing and less frightening with time. But, ah..." Souji sighed and glanced at the clock. "Damn, I'm running late. I need to get home."

"Your cousin?" Naoto asked, following Souji out into the hallway. "Nanako-chan, yes? I believe I mentioned hearing you speaking of her earlier."

Souji nodded. "Yeah, that's her. I've become more of a 'big brother' to her recently though. I can't say I'm unhappy with the title." He smiled fondly at the thought.

The sleuth couldn't hold back a soft laugh as she regarded Souji with a small smile. "You seem the type. It suits you Should that be the case, do not allow me to keep you. If something comes up, I've your number. I will alert you of Grampa's condition once it is known to me. Hurry home, and take care to be safe."

"Thank you," Souji said, "Give him my best wishes, if you could. Goodnight, Naoto." Waving, the silverette turned away from the young detective and started down the hallway at a slow sprint. If he caught the bus, he'd make it to the Dojima residence only a few minutes after he promised Nanako that he'd be home. Walking would only waste time.

_Something's going on with Naoto,_ he thought as he slipped out the front doors. _Was she really jealous of Sayoko? We haven't known each other that long this time. Is something else at work, perhaps...? What could it be? Maybe... I've managed to gain her trust faster this time around? I did have proof we were close before, but..._ The sound of the bus pulling up in front of the hospital cut off Souji's thoughts before they could finish and he boarded. He could think about this later.

Back inside the hospital, Naoto had yet to move from her spot in the middle of the hallway where she'd watched Souji's retreating back. Her eyes were glazed over slightly, the detective lost in her own thoughts and completely oblivious to the presence of an elderly gentleman who had approached her from behind.

The man blinked curiously and glanced over Naoto's shoulder, following the young detective's glance to the silver-haired male who had just disappeared around the corner. As he shifted his gaze away from the other male to look at Naoto, a mischievous glint formed in his eyes. "Nao-chan," his tone was light and casual with a hint of humour in its undertone.

When Naoto didn't respond, the elder raised an eyebrow and fought back the urge to grin. "Nao-chan," he raised his voice slightly. "Is everything quite well?"

Gasping sharply, Naoto turned abruptly, nearly losing her footing as she stared at the other in shock. "G-Grampa! Ah, forgive me, it appears I lost myself in thought." The shock was quickly forgotten in favour of concern as she stepped forward and began to look the other up and down. "What... did the doctor say?"

The elder Shirogane smiled kindly and waved a hand through the air, shaking his head. "It appears I had some sort of minor allergic reaction. From what the test's results gathered, the delicious jam rolls Yakushiji obtained for us has a paltry amount of cherry extract in it."

"I see..." Naoto frowned, "We'll have to be more careful about that. I expect he's likely beating himself up over this." The sleuth looked at the floor, kicking at what appeared to me a small pebble that had fallen off the bottom of someone's shoe lightly. "We'll have to refrain from teasing him for a few days. How unfortunate... I was planning something rather entertaining for tomorrow evening."

It wasn't until the sleuth raised her gaze again that she noticed the all-too-happy smile on her Grampa's face.

"...What?"

"Who is that young man who just left?"

"I... w-what?" Naoto swallowed and took a half-step backward, feeling heat begin to prickle her cheeks. "I-I'm certain I've no idea what you're talking about."

"Not at all? Come now, don't think you can fool Grampa Misanori. I may be old, but foolish I am not," his smile only seemed to grow, making Naoto all the more uneasy. "I've not seen you so focused a male since your father told you he was going to teach you how to build a radio. Don't tell me you're becoming more comfortable with your gender after all this time...? That would be most wond-"

"I'm afraid I don't understand at all what you're implying, Grampa," the young detective cut the other off quickly. "What does my father have to do with this?"

Misanori chuckled softly; it was easy to tell that his granddaughter was (very poorly) avoiding the question. "Come now, I know that look. Tell me, what's on your mind?"

"I-I don't..." Naoto gulped as she took another step back. It didn't seem worth the effort of attempting to hide the flush growing on her cheeks anymore. Not in front of this man. He'd figure it out; he always did. "Nothing, really, I... You're imagining things. That man was just..."

"You needn't be so defensive, Nao-chan," the elderly man said as he looked toward the door again. "Strange, though. He looks vaguely familiar... I remember working with a detective during my short time here in Inaba long ago. A dashing young man, very enthusiastic about his work as well. I think he mentioned having a daughter the last time we spoke as well... What was the name...? It's on the tip of my tongue... Let's see now..."

Something in Naoto's stomach dropped as she regarded her grandfather with a faintly horrified look. The likelihood that the name which appeared in her mind was the same as the one Misanori was thinking of seemed unlikely, yet she couldn't stop herself from speaking, "...Ryotaro Dojima?"

Misanori suddenly snapped his fingers and began to nod, "Yes! That's right. Dojima. Clever man, he was, though a bit impulsive. I do hope he's managed to outgrow that... It'd only cause him pain later on. But I am rambling, forgive me, Nao-chan. We should probably take our leave before that pretty nurse Uehara-san thinks I'm contracting alzheimer's..."

"That... that was his nephew, Souji Seta, but..." Naoto trailed off, her lips curling in distaste at the name 'Uehara'; that was the name on the female nurse's badge from before. "Tch... Then allow us to leave quickly. That nurse is a danger to males around her." Without waiting for a response, the sleuth turned abruptly and began walking toward the doors.

Behind her, Misanori chuckled and followed her at a much slower place, the smile of amusement back on his face. "Hm... I'll need to call Ryotaro sooner than I planned, it seems. How interesting..."

* * *

"_You'll never stop me!_ The man shouted as he took a step back, a wicked smile on his face. _Give up, Loveline. There's no hope for you now. Your only choice is to surrender to me; you can't prove anything!_" Souji said, his pale eyes focused on the book in his hands. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Nanako gripping the edge of her covers tightly, eyes wide as she listened to the story. "_Want me to fill you with holes?_ Glass shouted as Loveline looked around for something that would help her escape the grasp of the evil villain before her..."

As he continued to read, the silver-haired male couldn't help but smile as he watched his cousin's reactions to the story; the slight widening of her eyes when the scenes grew intense or the soft gasps as the plot-twists sent her young

mind reeling with possibilities. As mature as she was, the fact that she was able to have such a strong childlike fascination with even the simplest of things was a comfort to him; the last thing he wanted was for Nanako to grow up as quickly as he had.

"_Thank you for all your help_, the chef of police smiled as he shook the hand of the young detective. _We couldn't have done it without you."_

"It's not a problem!" Nanako suddenly piped up happily, knowing the end of the book from memory. "Just leave the investigations to me! I'm the Magical Detective Loveline!"

Souji laughed as he closed the novel and set down beside Nanako's futon with a small nod. "Did you enjoy the story?"

"Yeah!" the young brunette beamed, eyes sparkling, "You did all the right voices too! Thank you, big bro! I didn't know a new book came out today."

"Neither did I," the silverette admitted, tucking the young girl's covers in around her. "Uncle called today and asked me to pick it up on the way home."

"Really?" Nanako gasped softly, "Dad bought it for me?"

Souji nodded, earning a squeal of delight from his young cousin that melted into a tired yawn. "I have to... thank him..."

"He'll be here when you wake up in the morning," he assured her softly and leaned down, placing a quick peck on her forehead. "For now, catch up on your rest."

"Thank you for reading to me, big bro..."

"It's no problem, Nanako. Sleep well... Goodnight."

* * *

The rattling of the front door broke the silence Dojima household, followed by a loud yawn. In the kitchen, Souji paused in the middle of flipping an omelette and looked toward the entryway, smiling faintly as his Ryotaro appeared a few moments later, a case of beer dangling loosely in his left hand.

"Welcome home, Uncle."

"Ah?" Dojima glanced into the kitchen as he leaned back, letting out a soft hum of approval at the soft 'pop' he heard. "You're still up, are you? I thought you had an early morning tomorrow, didn't expect to see you awake." Briefly, the older male's eyes danced over the various supplies littering the counter and he nodded toward them in question, "Or is this some last minute stuff you're fixing up?"

Flipping the omelette he'd just finished out of the pan, Souji watched as it landed nearly onto a waiting plate and shrugged lightly. "Last minute, but it's nor for the trip."

"You shouldn't spoil us so much, you know..." Dojima chuckled as he placed the case of beer in the fridge before moving to sit at the kitchen table with one of the bottles in hand. "I might decide on telling your mom that you're staying in Inaba rather than going home in March."

As he reached for a plate piled with sliced chicken which he'd already prepared for cooking, the silver-haired teen paused. His fingers hovered over the raw meat, the look in his eyes shifting as something crawled into his throat and expanded itself. He could only be grateful for the fact that it was his back to his uncle and not his face, as he was certain his expression had fallen long enough for it to have been noticed. It wasn't exactly a situation he'd try to escape from; the silverette would have been far too willing as a hostage. "Oh? Threatening to keep me hostage?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder with a carefully-placed grin. "Didn't think you were the type who 'doesn't play by the rules.' I'm shocked, detective."

With a light laugh, Dojima popped the top off of his beer and took a swig, "Depends on how the game changes. Sometimes you have to remember to keep an open mind and be a bit more... _instinctive."_ The Detective shook his head with a small sigh and leaned back in his chair before regarding Souji with a curious look. "By the way... you haven't seen a kid going around town asking questions, have you?"

"Huh?" Souji blinked, a look of confusion crossing his features as he turned around to face the older male. In the back of his mind, he had a feeling he knew who was being spoken about, but regardless he forced a neutral expression on his face. The last thing he needed was to give his uncle a reason to ask unneeded questions. "Questions? What kind?"

"About the murders. It's nothing serious since you're not involved-" there was a brief pause as Dojima gave Souji a pointed look before continuing, "-but the kid's been going off on his own and opting not to work too closely with us." He shrugged and took another gulp of beer, turning the bottle in his hands thoughtfully, "Honestly, I think the superiors are intimidated by him... Anyway, the kid's got short hair and dresses in a classic detective's outfit. Goes by Naoto Shirogane. Have you heard of him?"

Clearing his throat, Souji turned back to the stove and suppressed the strong urge he had to grin. Various answers to the question shot through his mind as he tried to settle on what to say. The reactions from his uncle if he were honest—admitting that he was in love with the person in question—would have been comical, but given the circumstances of his situation, it was always better to tread lightly. Lying was out of the question, all Dojima would have to do in order to see if he was lying was ask Naoto herself, and he knew better than to think Naoto would take well to her existence being denied. He didn't think he had the heart to do it anyway.

"Naoto?" he repeated the name casually with a small nod and watched his uncle out of the corner of his eye, "I know him."

Ryotaro's response wasn't immediate. His rubbed his chin with the palm of his hand as he carefully looked over Souji's neutral demeanour. For several long minutes, the silver-haired male could feel the others gaze following every movement as the atmosphere slowly started to grow more tense, "How well?"

_Better than anyone else,_ Souji thought immediately, the silence answer almost escaping past his lips. He silently chided himself for the near careless slip and shrugged lightly, keeping his voice as even as possible. "Well enough that he lets me use his first name, I guess." He offered his uncle a thoughtful look of his own, "We've had lunch together a few times, too."

Silence filled the kitchen once more as neither male spoke. For a moment, the investigation squad leader feared he'd given an answer that would get him in trouble, but much to his relief, Dojima nodded. The older male placed the glass bottle he'd been handling on the table before he began to speak. "I figured you and your friends were nosing around a bit..." he smiled wryly at the huff of protest Souji made and continued with a small wave of his hand, "but I feel better with you looking after the kid. There's not much I can do for him myself without getting on my superior's bad sides, so..."

The teen's jaw tightened as his pale eyes watched the chicken in the pan in front of him. Far too often he'd heard Naoto's bitter tone as she explained how the police force felt they needed to treat her. His hand tightened around the pair of chopsticks he'd been using to poke at the food and he silently urged himself to calm down. It wasn't a big deal. At least Dojima understood that what the other detectives were doing was wrong. That was nice to know. "Look after him, Uncle?"

"Yeah," Dojima mumbled as he reached up, loosening his tie, "He's... well, looked down on by the more experienced detectives on the force. It's good he has someone his own age he can talk to for a change. Besides," the dark-haired male paused and sipped at his beer, suddenly attempting to appear much more casual than before. "I promised a friend I'd look after him as best I can. If he's with you, I can rest easier."

"He's mentioned that a few times. His choice of words was... unique." Picking up the pan, Souji began carefully emptying the pieces of chicken into a container before reaching for a small cup with a mixed seasoning he'd made earlier for flavour. As he began to sprinkle it on carefully, he spoke again, unable to hide the curiosity in his voice, "A friend?"

"An... old friend," Ryotaro replied, eyeing Souji over his bottle.

Raising an eyebrow, Souji leaned against the counter and met his uncle's look with ease. Was this meant to be a test of some sort? His pale eyes took in his uncle's movements carefully, watching for any signs of suspicion. Answering the question wouldn't hurt, as he'd already told his uncle that he knew Naoto; logically that meant he'd know something about him as well. "Do you mean her Grampa, Misanori-san?"

Much to the teen's surprised, Dojima chuckled with a small nod. "He's told you about him, huh? Yeah..." he nodded again, a nostalgic smile on his face, "we go way back."

"He has a few times, yes..." Souji answered slowly, surprised with the new information. That was certainly something he'd not learned in his previous year. He turned back to the counter and began packing the food he'd made into bentos for each meal he wouldn't be there to help cook, once again unable to stop his curiosity. "How do you two know each other?"

"It's... a long story," the older male said, taking a final swig to empty his bottle of beer. "Short version, Shirogane-senpai got me my start. I had a lot of other senpais guiding me, but... Shirogane-san was the one who helped me the most."

"Is that so...?" The surprise he'd been attempting to conceal melted onto Souji's face as he finished packing the food and began placing the bentos on the fridge. In the back of his mind, he made a mental note to ask Naoto if she'd had any idea that their relatives knew one another on what sounded like a fairly personal level. "Heh, if Naoto is anything to go by, then he must be a good teacher." He paused, then added with a small smile, "...Though if it helps, we don't talk about the case much."

This time, it was Dojima who looked shocked. He stood and walked over to the rubbish bin, tossing it into the open lid before he turned to look at Souji. "That's... unexpected. He seems like he's all business, even outside of the office. Good to know the kid's able to relax once in a while. Anyway..." the rest of Dojima's sentence was drowned out by a yawn. Grunting, he rubbed his face again and sighed, glancing at his nephew with a tired smile. "Don't stay up too much later, or you'll pay for it in the morning."

"I won't, I just need to clean up." The silver-eyed teen nodded to the dishes and began gathering them in the sink, "Oh, and uncle?"

"Hm?"

"On the table there, see the black notebook?"

"Huh? Oh... yeah, I see it."

"There's instructions on how to heat all of this up right, and a few easy step-by-step meals in case you two need something more to eat. As long as you follow them, it'll be just fine. I'm sure Nanako would love to have a meal her father cooked for her."

For several minutes, Dojima didn't respond. His gave shifted between Souji and the notebook, taking them both in slowly before he smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah, alright. Thanks... I'll do my best," he laughed. "I'm sure you'll hear all about the results. I'll try not to make you come home to a burned kitchen."

Snorting, the younger male shook his head. "I'm sure you'll do fine. I tried not to involve the stove too much."

"Ahaha... That so? Good thinking. Probably for the best." Exiting the kitchen area, Dojima walked toward the hallway, pausing only to glance over his shoulder in the doorway, "'Night, Souji."

"Goodnight, Uncle. Sleep well."


	15. Camping with Friends

It's been a while since my last update, and I cannot help but feel as if my apologies are ever enough for the amount of waiting I put everyone through. Fortunately, I am finally back home from Uni and I hope to be able to update more often. My health and general stress levels have come down quite a bit from where they were before. It's... nice to be home to say the least. I've missed my pets dearly and seeing my parents and friends from the lower part of the state again is a refreshing feeling.

In any case, chapter fifteen is already in the works and planned out. As it is, one of the bigger "arcs" of the story is about to begin, and depending on how long chapter fifteen ends up being, I may cut it into two parts - though I suppose that just means another chapter to come that much sooner for everyone.

There is a certain scene that happens between Yosuke and Souji when they are in the tent in this chapter that I was somewhat hesitant to write at first, but when the idea came to me, I couldn't see reason not to include it. It does still make nervous to finally post it, however, I would be very much appreciative to all those who review if they would give me their opinion on that scene.

Also, I'm curious if there is anyone out there reading this who has an idea for a better title for this story. While originally I felt the title would have made a fair amount of sense, as I continue to write more and more, I cannot help but wonder if the title is only vaguely related. Does anyone have any suggestions they wish to put forth?

Thank you everyone for being so patient with me, and I hope that you enjoy the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: _Camping with Friends_

Yosuke slumped over the picnic table and draped his arms dramatically over the surface. A soft 'pop' was heard from the brunette's shoulder, followed by a mixed groan of satisfaction and pain. "My body..." he hissed, leaning forward as he tried to get the same effect from his back, "That sucked. Picking up all that trash was murder on my back..."

Arching an eyebrow, Souji casually brought his chin up to rest in his palm, regarding the other with a faintly amused look. While it hadn't been something he would have labelled as "fun" and insisted upon being done again, he didn't think the activity of picking up trash was that bad. If anything, the experience had been rather amusing; the first time he'd done it his mood had dropped to a less-than-gracious level, as the much anticipated school trip had been nothing like he'd expected, and because of this he'd simply done the job he was told to do by the teachers and thought nothing of it. This time, however, he'd actually taken a few moments to look at just what it was he was picking up—and in the back of his mind, he'd silently thanked himself for having remembered enough about it to pack several pairs of disposable gloves for his friends and himself.

"It was... taxing," the silver-haired male offered with a small shrug. "It seems more like a small dump site than a park. I didn't think you'd end up finding an entire bike."

"Don't remind me," Yosuke muttered bitterly. "King Moron made me take it to five different trash piles before finally telling me to just go ditch it at the dump site. That asshole was just getting a kick out of watching me lug it around."

"Should have rode it," Souji said murmured thoughtfully. "I did find a hand-pump..."

"Haha, real funny, dude. The last the thing I needed was a broken bone to go with this mess."

"Oh?" Souji's eyes lit-up with amusement, "Admitting to being accident-prone?"

"Wh—No! I just—there's a lot of grass around here and—argh! Just shut up!" Yosuke huffed in annoyance as he watched the other male laugh and rolled his eyes, "_Anyway... _It's finally dinner time. Thank God, I'm starving... And the girls are cooking just for us!"

Immediately, Souji's laughter stopped and his stomach lurched. On reflex, a hand rose to his mouth as the much-preferred-forgotten memories and taste of "Mystery Food X" rose in his throat. His actions earned him a questioning glance from the brunette male, who frowned and sat up. "What's with the face? Aren't you excited? I mean, I'm not expecting too much from Chie, I'm not all that sure she can cook, but we've got Yukiko! She's got the full tradition of the Amagi Inn behind her—I bet it'll be totally unique! No one else here will have anything like it!"

"Y-yeah," the pale-eyed teen replied as his stomach lurched a second time. _He's got that right, at least. I don't think anyone else had dinner as 'unique' as ours._ "I'm sure it'll be... something else." Part of Souji wondered if he should warn Yosuke of the horrors that were soon to come, but the ecstatic look on his friend's face made it difficult to speak. While it was true that he was likely endangering his best friend's life, it seemed cruel to take the first reason he had to smile at the day away. Yet, somewhere in the back of his mind, the silver-haired male couldn't help but wonder if it was perhaps crueller to let things go as they were surely about to.

"Guys!" Chie suddenly called from behind, her voice faintly strained, "It's, uh... i-it's ready!"

Beside her, Souji heard Yukiko's hushed whisper of, "Are you sure, Chie?" and felt his stomach flip uncomfortably. His throat had already started to burn, and a rapid list of excuses for why he couldn't eat at the moment were forming in his mind. _Would they believe me if I said I wasn't hungry?_

"Of course I'm sure!" the martial artists replied, picking up the pot to carry it over to the table. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Awesome," Yosuke beamed, extending his hand across the table. "This is gonna be so _awesome!_ Hey, partner, hand me a plate."

A violent twitch shot through Souji's body as he reluctantly picked up a plate and held it out to the brunette. He felt bad for what he was doing, terribly so, as he'd just handed his best friend a death sentence. Alas, there were some incidents that needed to occur in order to ensure they never happened again, such as the girl's cooking skills. The leader sighed; he'd much rather avoid the dangerous game of 'Russian Omelette' from being performed a second time.

"Thanks," the headphone-clad male beamed and extended the plate to Chie expectantly. "Load 'er up."

"Oh!" Chie smiled weakly with a nod of the head that was much too forced with enthusiasm for Souji's liking. "S-Sure, here!" The martial artist took the plate and began to slowly fill it with curry, the colour in her face slowly draining with each spoonful she added. Concern laced her eyes as she offered the food back to Yosuke, who took it with a wide grin.

"Thanks, Chie!"

Beside Chie, Yukiko was looking at the curry in curiosity, her head inclined to the side as she poked it lightly with a chopstick. "...I didn't know curry could make a noise like this."

"This is gonna _rock!_" Yosuke murmured gleefully, "Thanks for the food."

Without further prompting, Yosuke took as large a bite as he could manage, making Souji turn away with a violent shudder. He felt bad, horrible even, that he was allowing this to happen. Unfortunately, his word alone that eating the girl's cooking would likely come off as offensive. It was better to have proof to back a claim; in the long run, he would be saving them all a good deal of trouble. Especially Nanako. He didn't want to see the poor girl burn her mouth again on Rise's omelettes.

"O-oh my god, Yosuke!" Chie's sudden distressed cry jerked the silver-haired leader out of his trance and made him turn. Across the table, Yosuke had turned a dangerous shade of green and started convulsing violently. The brunette's eyes rolled back into his head as he grabbed his throat and gargled, the sound coming out thick and messy. His arm waved through the air frantically, as if he were trying to get attention, and he suddenly shuddered again and doubled over – it was only then Souji realised that his friend wasn't _breathing._

With a start, he jumped up and pushed himself over the table, nearly knocking over the pot of curry and effectively startling both of the females beside him. Yosuke choked, feeling his body pulled suddenly from the bench and what felt like a fist being placed against the upper part of his abdomen. A sudden thrust made the headphone-clad teen lurch as pressure began to build in the back of his throat. After several more sharp pushes above his navel, a final shudder shook his body before a large mass of _something_ flew from his mouth. As it whizzed towards her, Yukiko yelped in alarm and ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding getting whatever _it_ was all over her jacket.

"G-gulgh..." Yosuke gasped for air as he slowly slid his back down Souji's chest and collapsed onto the ground. Students from the other tables who had been watching them murmured under their breaths before reluctantly turning back to their own meals. "W-whoa... I-I saw a light, dude... a light..."

"Yosuke..." Souji looked up as he heard a soft sob, jumping backward as Chie threw herself at the other brunette. "I didn't—I really thought we could—I'm so sorry, Yosuke...!"

"Wh-what?" Yosuke inhaled sharply as colour rushed to his cheek, the food-poisoning daze forgotten. "I... h-huh?"

"A-are you okay?" Yukiko walked over to join the other two on the ground, a worried look on her face. "I'm sorry, Yosuke-kun. I didn't think that it would turn out_ this_ badly..."

Behind the three of them, Souji could only smile and resist the urge to laugh. This time, especially for Yosuke, it seemed it was impossible to get angry with the girls for their actions. Dinner-less they might have been at the moment, but he'd planned for that. Besides, it seemed as if things had turned out better for his headphone-clad friend this time around. Or at least, from Souji's perspective, he didn't seem to be upset with his current situation at all.

"I'm so sorry," Chie muttered, wrapping her arms around Yosuke's shoulders. "I-I can't cook at all. But I wanted to _try! _I really, really wanted to make you something good, but I can't even boil water without burning it! I knew we should have followed the recipe but-"

Most of what Chie was saying went unnoticed by the brunette male as he tried to pull his focus away from the body currently pressed against his chest. He swallowed thickly and glanced at Souji with wide eyes, only earning an amused grin and shrug in response. He groaned silently and awkwardly patted the martial-artists shoulders, offering her the best smile he could manage. "It's fine, really," he muttered, returning Chie's hug awkwardly. "I mean, Souji and I didn't exactly offer to help, so..."

Scoffing, Souji stepped forward and knelt beside his two friends, looking them both over. "You alright, partner?"

Yosuke's answer was cut off as Chie sniffed loudly and clung to him as if she suddenly expected him to drop dead at any given moment. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he hid his expression from Chie and feigned a moan. "Y-yeah, I'll be fine... I just... need to lean against something for a bit and relax."

Souji snorted in response as the martial artist punched Yosuke in the shoulder and gave him a half-hearted glare. "I'll pretend I didn't see that. But..." Chie sighed, "What are we going to do? We used every ingredient we had. What will we do for dinner now?"

"Well," the silver-haired teen began, a thoughtful look forming on his face. "We could always..."

"Um," Yukiko suddenly spoke up, looking between the small group as she held up three pills with a sheepish smile. "They gave me this third pill as well. They said it would help counteract food poisoning."

A pout formed on Chie's face as she straightened herself, allowing Yosuke to take the pills as she reached for Souji's bag where they were keeping the water. "D-don't be over dramatic, geez. We didn't _poison_ him, Yukiko!"

"Well, no," the raven-haired woman responded, glancing at the remaining curry. "But I thought it was best to be safe. He did foam at the mouth a bit..."

"What the-? Souji-kun, what the heck are these?" Chie asked, pulling back the flaps of Souji's bag to reveal several wrapped bento boxes. "Bento boxes? Why do you...?"

"Food?" Yosuke's head popped over the brunette female's shoulder, his eyes wide. "Y-you brought food? Food _you_ cooked?"

"Wow," Yukiko murmured, approaching the small crowd around the bag. "You really thought of everything, Souji-kun."

"Uh, those are..." Souji began, unsure what to say. It didn't seem fair for him to claim he knew the girl's efforts were doomed from the start. Insulting them was the last thing he wanted to do, and he knew full well just how frightening the two of them could be when angered or insulted. Tentatively, he tried to smile and spoke in a tone that ended as more question than statement, "...for emergencies?"

"Really?" Yukiko smiled as she picked one up and began to unwrap it. "I guess we're in luck after all."

"S-seriously?" Yosuke's voice cracked as he bite back a sob of delight and grabbed a second, unwrapping it quickly. "You... you made food? _You?_ ...Dude, you're a god. Seriously. If I was anything like Kanji, I'd kiss you right now."

"Wha—Yosuke!" Chie scowled as she took the third of the bentos and smacked the back of Yosuke's head. "Would you stop that! Geez, you're such a homophobe!" She pushed him off her back and stood up, walking back over to their table. "Way to ruin the moment, idiot."

Souji could only chuckle as he picked up his dinner and joined Chie and Yukiko who sat on his left. "Thank you, Souji-kun. This is too much, really... Is that why you've got bags under your eyes?" She leaned over with a concerned look to peer at his face. "You weren't up too late, were you?"

"What the hell was that for?" Yosuke whined as he stood up. "It was a joke!"

"Hmph," Chie scoffed and pulled the brunette into the seat beside her. "It wasn't very _funny. _Just sit down and eat already..." She sighed and passed him a pair of chopsticks. "But really, thanks, Souji-kun. You saved our stomachs."

"No problem," Souji smiled faintly in response. "It was worth it. I'm glad I could help out. You never know, maybe the next batch of curry will turn out, ah... edible."

Beside Chie, Yosuke choked on a mouthful of rice and gagged. "Dude! Don't encourage them! We'll end up being their test subjects!"

"Wh—hey!" the brunette female glared. "Keep it up and we _will_ use you."

"Ugh... I'll behave..."

Shaking her head at the two's antics, Yukiko picked up a bottle of soda and passed it to Souji. "Just be sure to try and get to sleep early tonight, okay? I feel bad that you lost sleep doing this for us..."

"Don't worry," the silverette smiled, "I will. It's really alright."

"Whoa! Steak! Steak!" Chie cried in delight as she finally opened her bento. "Steak _and_ teriyaki! Souji-kun, you're the greatest!"

"And... fried tofu?" the inn-kepper smiled softly as she carefully split her chopsticks. "You really pay attention to us, don't you? This is amazing..."

"Yeah, no kidding. I don't know how you do it, man. But we owe you big time. Thanks, partner."

"Leave the rest of the cleaning and the tent set-up to us, alright?" Yukiko said, placing a hand on Souji's shoulder. "Just relax for a bit when you finish. It's the least we can do."

"You don't have to do that-" the investigation squad leader began, but was cut off before he could finish.

"Bah, it's nothing." Chie grinned, "The labour is totally worth this steak. Your cooking is great!"

"Setting up a tent beats hunger pains, Souji." Yosuke added, "Hell, I'll even set up our sleeping bags."

"...Thanks," Souji nodded, secretly pleased with the offer. It would be nice to get a chance to ease the sore muscles in his back.

* * *

Yosuke stared at the flap of the tent he and Souji were currently sitting in with a slack-jawed expression. He struggled to form words, his mouth working silently as he struggled to regain proper use of his voice. "What the hell was—I didn't think he'd just... freak! What the hell is he doing running off like that? He's going to get in trouble! He's gonna get _us_ in trouble!"

"He can be very... surprising," Souji shrugged, offering Yosuke a small cardboard box. "Animal cracker?"

"Uh... sure." The brunette sighed as he reached into the box and picked up several of the crackers, popping them into his mouth. "Aren't these Kanji's...?"

"I have back-ups," the silverette shrugged again and bit the head off a monkey.

"What _don't_ you think of? Damn, it's like you can predict the future or something." Yosuke laughed as he grabbed another cracker, turning it over in his fingers.

"Don't be silly," Souji muttered. _I've just... lived through it once before. _"I—wait! Don't eat that one."

"Huh?" Yosuke froze, cracker halfway to his mouth. "What? Why? Is it mouldy?"

"No," the pale-eyed teen grinned as he reached over and plucked it from Yosuke's grasp. "It's a penguin."

"...So?" Yosuke frowned and gave the other a questioning look. "What's so special about that?"

"Everything," Souji assured him, placing the animal cracker aside for safe-keeping. "It's a gift for a friend. They really want one."

"What kind of gift—guh, whatever. I won't ask." The brunette sighed and leaned back, resting his weight on his hands. "Man, but wouldn't predicting the future be cool? We'd have this case solve in no time."

Making a face, Souji shook his head. "I don't think it'd be that easy..."

"Maybe... Guess we'll never really know, huh?" the brunette sighed a second time and let himself fall back against his pillow and stared at the ceiling of the tent. "...Wonder if he's okay."

"I'm sure he's fine," the squad leader assured. "He's just trying to figure some things out."

"Like what?" Yosuke frowned and rolled over onto his side to better meet Souji's gaze. "How not to get caught by teachers while screaming? Man, he took off like a bat outta hell. Seriously, he needs to chill..."

"You've never been impulsive like that before?" Souji raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"What, like him? Hell no, I don't have a death wish." He shrugged and rolled over, his back now facing the other teen. "Whatever... I don't get why he freaks out like that."

"He just wants to be accepted, Yosuke. Isn't that what his Shadow said? Proving his manhood to those who doubt it is part of that too."

"Proving his manhood for _what,_ exactly?" Yosuke asked as he looked over his shoulder.

"Mostly for himself."

"I—what? What are you talking about? I'm not following." The brunette sat up and frowned, meeting Souji's equally confused gaze.

"What are _you_ talking about?"

"Me?" Yosuke shrugged, "I'm talking about why he gets so worked up about denying he likes dudes."

"We don't know he does for sure, Yosuke," Souji reminded the brunette lightly. "Besides, _he_ isn't even sure he likes dudes. Haven't you ever felt so torn up about something in your life that it's painful to even think about it?"

For a few brief seconds, the headphone-clad teen tensed. His eyes widened a fraction and his fists clenched, gripping the fabric of his track pants tightly – a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Souji. The brunette swallowed thickly and lowered his gaze to the floor, shrugging half-heartedly. "N-no. Why would I? I'm totally confident in myself."

"That's not what I mean," Souji muttered, frowning when the other male avoided his eyes. "Unless... you've already forgotten your Shadow."

Yosuke tried to shrink under Souji's gaze by pulling his legs up to his chest, but the movement only made him feel more insecure under the silver-haired male's knowing gaze. He bit the inside of his cheek and groaned, giving the other a desperate look. "Don't look at me like that," he pleaded. "That's the 'I-know-you're-hiding-something' look."

"I'm your friend," the squad leader said gently, turning away from the brunette. "I'm not going to force you to talk about it." The silence that settled over them was uncomfortable, and it was easy to tell that it was bothering his headphone-clad friend. Normally, he would have said something to break the tension, but for the sake of Yosuke and the ex-punk who had fled from their tent moments ago, he didn't.

"Ngh. Dammit, dude..." Yosuke cursed under his breath and wrapped his arms tightly around his raised knees. "I dunno. It's just... he makes me remember some kinda shitty stuff and..." he shrugged awkwardly, leaving the sentence open enough that Souji took the opportunity for the final push.

"...was it that bad?"

Several seconds of silence passed before the brunette nodded slowly. "You could say that, yeah." The hesitance could clearly be heard in his tone. He wanted to talk, that much was for certain; whatever memories were bothering him had bubbled up enough that Yosuke needed to get them off his chest, but nervousness was preventing him from doing so.

"Hey..." Souji extended the animal crackers to his friend, hoping to provide a small comfort. "You can tell me anything, Yosuke. Not even Chie would hear about this unless you wished to tell her yourself. I can promise you that."

"...Yeah," the brunette nodded again and took one of the crackers, offering the silverette a small smile. "I know. You're the most trustworthy guy I know." He paused, chewing the giraffe he'd taken slowly as he carefully picked out the words he wanted to say. "I'm a coward; guess that's a good place to start. Or maybe I'm just an ass. Or both."

"Well, yes, even I knew that," the pale-eyed teen smiled, his tone light as he tried to ease the mood. "But you're my friend anyway, so you're not all that bad."

Yosuke laughed weakly in response and shook his head. "Gee, thanks..." However, the smile was quick to disappear as his gaze fell to his feet. "When... when I was a kid—about eight—there was this really, really awesome kid in the next grade, right?"

Souji nodded slowly, "The kind you look up to just because for their own confidence and daring, right?"

"Something like that," the brunette agreed. "You kinda reminded me of them after we went into the TV World again to look for Saki-senpai—the cool part, anyway. I mean, they could do _anything._ Everyone liked them..."

"Them?" Souji inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"...him." Yosuke admitted quietly. "Me included."

"Ah," the investigation leader nodded. "So you were friends."

"We were," the statement seemed to give the brunette a faint sense of pride as his tone grew a little stronger and he straightened himself. "He stood up for me when the others would gang up. I really looked up to him. He was just... so cool. And I, uh..." he shrugged and tried to sound nonchalant as he spoke, "...guess I kinda had a thing for him."

"Did you?" The answer hadn't been quite what Souji had expected. He knew something must have caused his friend's odd quirks of avoiding 'the gay' at all costs, but the subject had never come up before. Not during his 'first' year. "Isn't that normal for kids? To idolise someone?"

"I guess so. Maybe. But most _guys_ don't have a _crush_ on their _male_ best friends. You can't tell me that's normal."

Souji opened his mouth, prepared to explain to Yosuke how that _was_ perfectly normal, but thought better of it and kept silent. Instead, he inclined his had forward in a silent gesture for the other to continue; that could come later.

"I was just a kid at the time," the brown-haired male continued, resting his chin on his knees. "I didn't really get how that stuff worked, or how people reacted to it. I knew what the girls did when they had crushes, so... I worked up the balls to talk to him and... I told him how I felt."

"I doubt he understood at that age either. Most wouldn't- most _don't, _really_._ ...Or he heard something from his friends."

With a bitter laugh, Yosuke tightened his arms around his legs. "Guess he must have heard some pretty awful stuff, then. He just laughed in my face and started telling all of his friends. Pretty soon, the entire grade knew about it and I was just a big joke to them. I didn't really know how to handle that, so... I just grinned and played along, like I'd been joking about it the whole time just so things would go back to normal, but..."

"But the idea has been fairly negative for you ever since, huh?"

"It messed me up pretty good, if that's what you mean." Yosuke's face fell as he began poking at the fabric of his sleeping back, guilt in his tone. "But yeah, that's a good way of summing it up."

"We're the sum of our experiences in life, Yosuke. Kanji is still dealing with things his own way, trying to figure them out as they come to him, and you deal with things in your own way as well."

"Yeah... but between the two of us, he's the better man. No matter how much I say to him, he's never even raised a fist to me. Even though we both know he could take me easily."

"He probably knows you don't mean it, deep down," Souji mused. "You're both alike in that you just wanted to be accepted, and that's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Being shown-up by an underclassman in maturity, though... Aha, dammit..." Yosuke buried a hand in his hair and grit his teeth. "Ouch... What should I do about all of this?"

"Well," the silver-haired male began with a light shrug. "You might want to start with keeping your mouth closed a bit longer and thinking before you speak."

"Aha... Sounds like a good place to start."

"As I said before, we're the sum of our experiences and Kanji has had a lot of rejection in his lifetime. Getting that from someone who has seen his very core could end up affecting him badly. You can understand how he feels to an extent, right? Use that to help yourself – and him."

With a sigh, Yosuke raised his hand hesitantly, letting it linger in the air before he placed it on Souji's shoulder. "Thanks... For listening, I mean. Just deck me or something the next time I start acting like an ass again."

Snorting, the silverette grinned, "I'll let Chie have that honour."

"Dude... not cool," Yosuke said, his face going pale. "I'm not sure how many more hits I can take from her. I'm never going to have children at this rate."

Souji laughed and clapped his friend on the back. "She just cares about you."

"Cares, right... The harder she hits the more she loves, right? I must be pretty damn lucky then."

"At least she doesn't kick you all the time. Remember that time she almost poisoned you?"

"Haha," the brunette said dryly, glaring. "That's not funny, dude. I saw my life flash before by eyes this afternoon! I thought I was doing to _die."_

"I'm sure," Souji nodded, trying to hide his grin. "It must have been traumatising. Dreadful. I'm glad I never got to try Mystery Food X; it seems extremely lethal."

"Maybe we should try taking what's left inside the TV. Maybe it'll help us off some of the Shadows."

"Oh?" the silver-eyed teen laughed. "If you want to do that, you get to be the one to carry it back. We-"

Both boys froze as they heard a noise outside of the tent and felt their stomachs plummet. "Shit, the lantern!" Yosuke hissed, diving into his sleeping bag. "Turn it off, quick! Quick!"

Outside the tent, Souji could make out the sound of approaching footsteps. Quickly and silently, he dimmed the lantern before turning it off completely and slipped himself into his sleeping bag. He barely dared to breathe as he watched the entrance of their tent closely, waiting for it to be unzipped violently and the face of their homeroom teacher to peer inside, eyes bulging out of their sockets in anger. Just as his pulse started to quicken, a familiar voice broke the tension that had been building in his chest and he relaxed, silently scolding himself for having forgotten the order of events from before.

"Souji-kun? Yosuke-kun?" Yukiko whispered as she fumbled blindly for the tent's zipper in the dark. "Are you two still awake?"

_That's right,_ Souji thought, sighing in relief. _Those two came first, then Mooroka. _"Yukiko?" he responded, making sure to sound surprised. "Is that you? Is everything alright?"

"Um," the inn-keeper hesitated, her tone unsure as her hands stilled in their quest to find the zipper. "Well, yes, you could say that, but... could we come in, please? Chie is with me and it'd be easier to talk inside. The teachers are patrolling and we don't want to be seen."

"What the hell?" Yosuke's muffled voice could be heard through his sleeping bag as the human-shaped lump angled itself toward Yukiko's voice. "What are you doing here? This is the _guy's_ side!"

"Is everything alright?" Souji asked, crawling toward the entrance, his brow furrowed. He knew well the girl's reasoning for being there – the event was a hard one to forget – but he had to at least pretend he was confused.

"Well, yes. Um, no. Sort of. Everything is fine, except, um..." Chie began uneasily, her voice just barely above a whisper. "Would it be alright if we slept in your tent? Please?"

Shrugging, the silverette turned to Yosuke to see what the brunette thought, but was cut off before he could speak. "Are you insane! You're gonna get us in trouble! Go back to your tent!"

"We can't..." Yukiko sighed, "It-" The rest of her sentence was drowned out by a sharp gasp as an uncomfortably familiar voice could be heard in the distance. "Please...!"

"Alright, alright... Get in here, quickly." Souji bent forward and unzipped their tent, ushering the two females inside before he closed it again. "Yosuke, don't misbehave with Chie or I'll have to kick _you _out."

"Wh—dude! Come on!"

"Shhh!" Chie hissed, eyes-wide as she stared intently at the shadow moving outside the tent. Her stomach clenched tightly as she slowly crawled backward in order to make room for Yukiko and bumped into Yosuke's middle. The male brunette huffed loudly and opened his mouth to protest, but the words were lost when the martial-artist suddenly clung to his middle. She could only be thankful that it was too dark for him to notice the heat rising in her cheeks.

"What-"

"Quiet!" Souji growled under his breath, motioning for Yukiko to come closer to him and away from the figure outside. "Don't talk."

"Lissssten up!" The voice of their homeroom teacher boomed across the silent night, his words slurred and uneven as he spoke. "Bein' insholent... and bein' indeshent are vurry... diffrunt fhingz!"

"It's him!" Yosuke's voice hitched as he spoke, a whimper growing in his throat. "Shit, he's right outside the tent...!"

"Shush!" Chie whispered in response, her grip on Yosuke's waist tightening unconsciously. The headphone-clad male swallowed a groan and tried futilely to motion for her to loosen her grip. Colour was quickly rising in his cheeks and he let his gaze wander, forcefully refusing to allow himself to focus on the female clinging to him. His sudden proclaimed disinterest in Chie's actions made Souji grin, earning him a glare in response and a sharp mouthing of 'Go to hell' from Yosuke.

"Chie..." he muttered, "You're hurting me. Geez, how can you climb into a TV and beat the crap out of creatures more than twice your size but you can't face a _teacher?_ Just—let go, just for a second, okay?"

Earning an annoyed grunt of disapproval, the brunette female untangled herself from the male she'd been clinging to and moved a few inches back. Pleased that he finally had full use of his lungs returned to him, Yosuke unzipped his sleeping bag and lifted one of the sides, gesturing for Chie to come closer again. "Quick. Maybe if you hide in here and he peeks inside, he won't notice."

She didn't need to be told twice. The martial-artist crawled forward and settled herself beside Yosuke, her arms finding their way back around his waist in mere seconds. "Wh—seriously, Chie? Geez..."

Despite his protests, it didn't at all seem as if Yosuke were upset with the situation in the slightest; at least, if the action of wrapping his arms around her shoulders was anything to go by. "How cute," Souji mumbled, jumping violently when something solid smacked against the side of the tent.

"Hey...! HEY!" A second smack. "Are... are you two in dere? Anzer meh!"

Inhaling sharply, Yukiko pressed a hand over her mouth as Souji straighten himself and cleared his throat, keeping his tone even as he spoke. "We're in here, sir. Fast asleep!"

"Oh god..." Chie mumbled, pressing her face against Yosuke's chest in an attempt to stifle any noise she might have been making while breathing.

"H-hey... don't squeeze so hard..."

"Huuuh?" Mooroka paused and seemed to consider Souji's answer before he poked at the tent with a grunt. "Zo yer in dere... Iz Hadamurna already asleep?"

"Y-yessir!" Yosuke laughed shakily, trying to ease the arms gripping him. "Sleeping away, sir!"

"Dun get cude, Hadamurna! Shuddup and to back to sleep!"

Silence settled over the tent as the occupants waited with bated breath, watching the figure outside sway precariously. Sometime during the encounter, Yukiko had managed to get a rather violent vice-grip on Souji's arm, and was causing the lower part of his arm to slowly go numb. Raising an eyebrow, he glanced over his shoulder at the raven-haired woman and motioned to her hands. The inn-keeper smiled sheepishly and loosened her fingers, mouthing a silent apology before she resumed staring at the outline of Mooroka, sighing in relief as he finally began to walk away.

"That was close," she mumbled, letting her hands fall back into her lap. "If he'd actually checked on you two..."

"I'd rather not think about it." Souji muttered, running a hand through his hair. "It's best we don't."

"Right..." Turning her gaze to the other two occupants, Yukiko muttered a soft 'oh!' under her breath and smiled. Besides her, Souji turned curiously and felt the corners of his lips curve upward in amusement as Yosuke flashed him a scowl.

"You two look rather comfortable," the inn-keeper noted, sounding far too pleased for her own good. "Chie, I didn't know you and Yosuke-kun were so used to visiting each other at night. You got comfortable so quickly... Do you two actually do stuff like this often?"

"Well," Souji began, "you never-"

"Souji, can it. Seriously. Don't talk. Or I swear, you're a dead man."

The silver-haired male fell silent respectfully and leaned back against his pillows, only to have his silence broken by the unmistakable sound of a stifled snicker coming from the raven-haired female next to him.

* * *

Sleeping had, fortunately, been much less awkward than expected. By the time he'd managed to calm down Yukiko's hysterical giggles, Chie had already nodded off in Yosuke's sleeping bag and didn't appear as if she'd been moving anytime soon. The brunette male had, of course, protested and deemed it 'totally not right' if the two of them shared a sleeping mat, but his tone of voice and words conflicted with one another and eventually he'd given up on his protests completely. None of them were fully convinced they would be able to unwrap Chie's arms from his waist without the risk of earning a first to the face for their efforts – according to Yukiko, the martial-artist's reflexes usually woke up before her mind.

Because of this, the only open spot for Yukiko to sleep had been beside Souji on his mat. It had taken him several minutes to convince the dark-haired female that it was perfectly fine for her to do so and she was not at all invading his personal space, nor would it upset the 'friend with amnesia', but once they'd settled, the two were able to position themselves comfortably. Yosuke had been the second of the four to fall asleep, which left Souji and Yukiko to talk quietly between themselves as they waited for sleep to claim them. Overall, it had been vastly more enjoyable than the awkwardness that had filled the tent the first time he'd been in it.

Yukiko was the first awake the next morning, and woke Souji shortly after with a sputtered apology as she released the arm she'd taken prisoner sometime during the night. A light dusting of red had covered the silverette's cheeks as he'd assured her it was just fine and no damage had been done, somehow, the feeling of slender arms around his own had helped push away the nightmares which had plagued his dreams so often as of late. Unfortunately, the illusion that sleep had graced him with the arms of another had shattered once he'd opened his eyes – though it hardly seemed appropriate to voice these thoughts.

Soon after, Yosuke and Chie woke in an embarrassing tangle of limbs. It had taken nearly ten full minutes to stop the laughing fit which had followed shortly after, and once Yukiko was able to properly breathe again, the two girls bid their male companions a temporary farewell and slipped out of the tent in order to return to their own before the teachers noticed. The morning was going quite smoothly and Souji congratulated himself on avoiding the disaster that the camping trip had been once before. It wasn't until Yosuke was gleefully leading him toward a stream near the camping grounds after having demanded that they both change into swimming trunks and claimed that he'd taken care of the girl's suits that he realised a very, very important event he'd neglected to take into his calculations.

"Oh no..." he mumbled, approaching the cliff that overlooked the sparkling river below. His chest tightened in distaste as he remembered the horrifically _dirty_ feeling that had stuck to him for weeks after the incident; a feeling he really didn't wish to go through again.

"What's wrong?" Yosuke asked, approaching Souji with an all-too-gleeful grin. "Cheer up, man. This is gonna be _amazing._ I can't wait for the girls to get here. Did you _see _the suits I got them?"

"I did." The silverette nodded with a small sigh. He'd have to proceed carefully; he really didn't want to be shoved into the icy water again. He could only hope that things would end up better this time. After all, Yosuke and Chie were dating, and maybe that would prove to be their safety-net. His eyes would be on Chie and Chie alone. At least, he _hoped_ that would be the case. Anything else would get the brunette in trouble, and somehow, whenever Yosuke ended up in trouble, Souji was quickly pulled down with him. _I suppose that comes with being best friends..._ he thought vaguely, looking up when he heard several sets of footsteps.

"I guess we're the only ones here," Chie announced as she approached the two males and peered over the edge of the cliff. "Didn't a ton of people go swimming last year?"

"It was warmer then." Yukiko mused, joining her friend's side. "Remember? It was really warm last year and no one knew why."

"Oh yeah..." the brunette female nodded and stepped back, turning to face a rather sullen Kanji who had stopped a few feet behind her. "What's wrong, Kanji-kun? You're not looking too good."

"Uh..." Kanji hesitated, looking between the two pairs uneasily. "I, uh... got upset last night, right? Like, I got pissed and ran out of the tent last night, didn't I? But... Yosuke-senpai was the one who woke me up in his tent so he could put it away."

"I-it was a dream!" Chie sputtered, earning a snort in response from Yosuke. "It had to have been a dream, I man... uh, how else could you have gotten back to the tent? We're not strong enough to carry you. Ahaha... ha..."

"Uh... O...kay?" Kanji looked between the two brunettes slowly with a questioning gaze before he finally glanced to Souji. The silver-eyed male shrugged in response and waved his hand through the air in a gesture that urged the blonde to just let it go. It was better than questioning it, and he'd rather not be forced to recall the event either. Carrying Kanji through the tents while in a crouching position in order to avoid the watchful eyes of their patrolling teacher's had not been an easy task.

"Well, if we're all done with that," Yosuke began in a pleased tone, "let's get swimming!"

"Are you seriously gonna swim?" Kanji shook his head and walked over to the edge, letting his legs dangle down as he sat. "Count me out; I'm still all stiff. No way am I gettin' in that water."

_A wise choice..._ Souji thought dully, taking a half-step away from the cliff. _Though not the best spot t__o sit. I hope they don't get angry with you this time too._

"What are you looking at _us_ for?" Chie frowned, giving Yosuke a look of disapproval. "If you guys want to swim, feel free. You're all prepared to jump in."

"You know..." the brunette male stepped forward, casually placing himself at Chie's side, "you two still owe us."

"_Huh?"_ The martial-artist jumped and stepped to the side, her eyes wide. "Whoa, whoa, whoa... I mean, I know we _do_, but... we're not going in there! It's..."

"...wet?" Yukiko provided weakly, only earning a sceptical look from Yosuke. "And cold. It's wet and cold, and besides, we can't. We, um..."

"We don't have any swimsuits!" Chie cut in, nodding vigorously. "I mean, we can't go in without _swimsuits_. We don't have another change of clothes and putting on the sweaty stuff from yesterday would just be gross and—Yosuke... where did you get those?"

Souji bit back a groan as Yosuke held a pair of women's swimsuit's up, one in each hand, the grin on his face growing wider with each passing second. "Junes, duh. They just came in for the summer – they're original designs. I talked to one of the female clerks I know at the store and she helped me out. She's not much bigger than the two of you, so the size should work out perfectly."

"_Wha__t?"_ the brunette female glared and took a step forward. "You bought us—_Yosuke! _That's so... so..."

"So... generous?" Yosuke frowned and lowered his arms, fixing his expression into a disappointed pout. "Is this how it's going to be? We put up with your dinner, we saved you from King Moron, and you won't even have a little friendly fun with us?"

"Did you... have those this whole time?" Yukiko asked suddenly, crossing her arms over her chest. "But that's..."

"That's not the point at all, Yukiko! He shouldn't have brought them at all, and..."

"We were _really_ looking forward to dinner..."

"Yosuke! That... I-I already said I was sorry!"

"I wonder what would have happened if we hadn't helped you guys out last night..."

"W-well..." Yukiko's gaze fell to the ground as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other and bit her lip. "We..."

"I mean, if you won't do it for me," he took a moment to pause and fix Chie with another pout and received a wince in response. "Shouldn't you at least have fun with Souji?"

"What?" Souji's attention snapped away from the flower he'd been examining off to the side, hoping to avoid drawing attention to himself. "Why me?"

"I mean, he _did_ pack those emergency meals and shared them with us. He even took the time to make everyone's favourite."

"...he does have a point there," Yukiko mumbled with a soft sigh. "He stayed up late making them, too."

"Yukiko! You can't really be thinking about agreeing with—oh, stop it with the puppy-eyes, Yosuke. Fine, _fine!_ We'll do it Sheesh, can't you ever let things go?" Stepping forward, Chie snatched the bathing suits from Yosuke's grasp and ushered Yukiko back into a thick lining of brush. "We're changing over here, but if I catch any of you peeking, I swear-"

"We're not going to peek! Have a little faith, geez... We'll even turn around so you won't doubt us."

Eager to change the girl's bubbling irritation in his favour, Souji immediately turned around and took a seat beside Kanji. His pulse was starting to race and nervousness had begun to set in, the next few minutes deciding if they all suffered the same grotesque fate from before. Yosuke moved to stand beside him, but didn't bother to sit down, and the silverette could almost _feel_ the excitement radiating off his friend. _Just __don't mess up this time,_ he thought desperately. _Please..._

"Ugh... We're ready. C'mon, let's just get in already..." Chie's voice broke the silence that had settled over the three males, followed shortly by Yukiko.

"They fit perfectly... How did he manage that?"

"Don't think about it, Yukiko. It's really not worth it."

Glancing over his shoulder, Souji smiled as the two approached and stood up slowly. He tried to look encouraging as they drew closer and offered them both a slight nod. "They look good, you two. I like the styles."

"O-oh, um... thank you, Souji-kun." Yukiko smiled sheepishly and laced her hands behind her back. Beside her, Chie was currently fighting a losing battle against the crimson flush that was quickly crawling up her neck and face. Her eyes were locked on a small stone near her boot, and she didn't appear prepared to look up anytime soon and only mumbled a soft 'thanks' in return.

"Hey, if-"

"Whoa..." Before Souji could so much as finish his train of thought and suggest that if they were that uncomfortable, they didn't have to get in, Yosuke had already taken several steps forward toward the brunette currently clad in green. "Chie, you, uh... you..." he hesitated and looked back to Souji who shrugged and raised an eyebrow, watching the other male with interest. Unable to gain the help he'd been hoping for, he turned back and gulped audibly, tripping over his words.

It was difficult to tell who was more nervous between the two of them, but Yosuke seemed to snap out of it first with a firm shake of his head. The male stepped forward and gingerly placed a hand under Chie's chin, guiding her gaze upward until it met his own. "Hey, come on. You shouldn't scrunch up like that and hide your face. Y-you... you look really great. " He smiled hopefully and winked, "I knew this colour would suit you best, so show off a little bit. You'd be making the other girls _green_ with envy."

"S-shut up," Chie huffed in response, giving Yosuke's shoulder a half-hearted punch. "Just because we're dating doesn't mean flattery will get you out of trouble."

"Flattery?" The caramel-eyed male's confidence seemed to return as he took a step back and placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "You _wound_ me, madam. I only speak the truth."

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Whatever. Let's just go already..." For all the effort she seemed to be putting into her protests, the martial-artist didn't at all seem displeased with the attention. Her blush had darkened considerably, but there was no hiding the faint smile that currently tugged at the corners of her lips.

Closer to the cliff, Yukiko knelt beside a red-faced Kanji and reached out, touching her friend's shoulder lightly. "Um, Kanji-kun? Are you alright? Your face is flushed. Are you feeling sick from last night?"

"N-nah," The ex-punk shrugged and looked away quickly, making it a point to keep both girls out of his field of vision. "It's nothin' to worry about. I'm just, uh... a little stiff is all. It was cold last night too. Think I might have got a cold or somethin'. D-don't worry about me."

"If you're sure..." Yukiko frowned, worry still evident in her tone. "Will you be okay up here by yourself? Do you want to come down with us and sit by the water?"

"No thanks..." Kanji shrugged again, still not daring to look at the other female. "I'm good up here."

"Hey!" Yosuke cut in, waving his arm through the air as he gestured toward the pathway that led down to the water. "Are you guys coming or not? Let's go swimming already!"

Making a face, Souji purposely moved forward slowly, straining his ears for the sound he knew was supposed to be coming soon. "Are you sure the water is warm enough?" he asked casually, trying to come up with any means he could to stall. "It wouldn't be good if any of us got sick."

"It's _fine,_" Yosuke rolled his eyes and grabbed Souji's arm, dragging the silver-haired leader at a quicker pace. "Honestly, with how much you worry, you'd think..." he trailed off and stopped, releasing the other male's wrist with a sudden frown. "What the hell is that noise?"

"You can hear it too?" Chie asked, stepping closer to the stream as she leaned to the side, listening carefully. "It sounds like..."

_...Safe_. Souji thought with a sigh, relief crossing over his face briefly before his expression suddenly darkened in distaste. "Vomiting," he commented quietly. "It... sounds like Mooroka."

"That's... ew!" Yukiko gasped, jerking the foot she'd just dipped in the water out. "...I don't want to swim anymore."

"Ugh, me neither. I'm out." Chie groaned and glanced at Yosuke as she pointed at the water. "If you still want to go in, feel free, but there's no way you're getting me in there now."

"I think I'll pass," the brunette male replied, looking heartbroken. "Dammit! Does that man have to take everything good from me? Seriously... Why can't he just go toss his chunks in the bushes?"

Smiling, Souji stepped forward and gave Yosuke a half-hearted pat on the shoulder and began to lead him away from the river. The retching upstream was only getting louder and it was making his stomach start to churn. "Better luck next time," he offered lightly. "Maybe we could go to a beach or something this summer instead."

"Yeah... I guess," Yosuke sighed heavily. "Whatever, let's just get changed and go home. I want to start forgetting this ever happened."

"Oh, stop it," Chie scolded lightly as she came up on Yosuke's left. "He's got a point. I haven't been to the beach in ages; it might be fine. Besides, it'd be a shame to let these suits to go waste, right?"

It wasn't until she wrapped her arms around Yosuke's that it suddenly occurred to Souji that she was trying to cheer him up. The silverette smiled and watched as the other male's cheeks coloured slightly and his eyes moved off to the side. Beside him, Yukiko chuckled and shook her head. Her smile was almost sorrowful, but the look in her eyes was warmer than he remembered seeing it previously and that was enough to keep Souji calm. "Those two are really cute, huh?"

"Yeah," Souji agreed absently, trying to fight down the sense of longing that had started to rise in his chest. "They are..." Glancing at Yukiko, he placed a hand on her shoulder and offered an encouraging smile. "I'm sure you'll find someone like that soon enough, don't worry. 'Someday, your prince will come' as they say."

With a soft laugh, Yukiko nodded, returning the others smile. "Thank you, Souji-kun... Ah, but we'd better hurry. Those two are already at the top—Chie! Wait up!"

* * *

Wiping his forehead, Souji set the broom he'd just been using against the wall and went in search of the dustpan he'd misplaced earlier. Laundry sat folded neatly in baskets in the living room, waiting to be taken into the rooms of their respective owners, and the dishes had been washed and put back in the cabinets. The bathrooms had taken the longest to clean, as a rather bizarre-looking stain had appeared on the floor of the one on the lower level and it had taken nearly an hour to get it off the tiling. Fortunately, sweeping was the last of the chores to be done and he'd finally be able to relax once he'd finished. Normally, the chores would be split between Nanako and himself, but he'd offered to take on her share as well when she'd announced that she would be spending the day with a friend.

After several minutes of confused searching and finding the dustpan under Dojima's bed – he thought it best to just be grateful he'd found it, not question why it was there – he quickly swept up the pile of rubbish on the floor and disposed of it. Pleased with himself, the silverette made his way into the living room and collapsed onto the couch, humming in approval as the force of the impact caused his back to pop. It was unfortunate that his built-up physique hadn't been passed onto him during his bizarre travel through time, but given that he'd managed to keep everything else he'd worked so hard to improve on, being a little out of shape wasn't a major problem.

Rolling over onto his side, Souji reached for the remote on the floor nearby, only to have the action interrupted by a knock at the door. He groaned in protest and pushed himself up off the couch with a pout. As he approached the door, he straightened his shirt and hair subconsciously before grabbing the handle and sliding it open. "How can I—Naoto? What are you doing here?"

"Good afternoon, Seta-san. I hope I am not interrupting anything... but I wished to request the chance to—no, rather, I _need_ to speak with you. Now, if possible, as this matter is of the utmost importance."


	16. Fleeting Feelings

First off, I would like to apologise in advance, as this chapter is much shorter than what all of you are used to. It was only about eight pages in length (size ten text) instead of the usual fifteen. Still, I feel as if I managed to add everything that needed to be added here. Hopefully I will be able to get the next chapter out soon enough, and I would very much like to know everyone's opinions on the end of this chapter, was I was quite proud of it.

Many thanks to _**Jovius**_ for betaing this chapter for me; I wouldn't have been able to get it out this soon without his assistance.**  
**

That aside, a new title was finally decided on, as I'm sure all of you noticed: _Fortuna Favet Fatuis_. It is a Latin phrase which translates to _Fortune Favours [the] Fool[s]_. I felt it was suiting given most of the context of this fanfic, and it seems to flow much better than the Japanese title - as I also plan to go back and put up BETA'd versions of earlier chapters soon enough and bring them up to par with what I am able to currently produce. The phrase itself is a fairly interesting one, and it does have a few variations - Fortuna Favet Fortibus, Fortune Favours the Bold and Fortibus Fortuna Favet, Fortune Favours the Brave - but I've always like this one.

I hope you all enjoy the new title and this chapter as well, and I continually thank all of you for being so patient with me.

Ah, and before I forget, one more note: I finally moved all my Persona stories, including this one, to the Persona section. I don't know why it took me so long to do so, but I hope you all forgive me for it.

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: _Fleeting Feelings  
_

For several moments, Souji could only stare at Naoto in silence. The beginnings of bags could be seen under her pale eyes, though he was hardly one to judge in that regard. He knew full well that his own eyes were plagued by dark rings that had slowly been making themselves more prominent with each passing day over the course of the past month. If the sleuth appeared exhausted after his absence during the school trip – as she'd looked alright before hand – he could only imagine how hellish he must have looked in comparison. His silence apparently put the detective on edge, and she awkwardly adjusted her posture and glanced at the entryway behind him, "... Do you mind if we speak inside?"

"Huh? I—oh. Yes, please..." Stepping aside, Souji motioned for Naoto to enter and shut the door behind her. This was the first time she'd ever come to the Dojima Household without him having invited her there as an offering for a rendezvous point for discussing the case or other such topics. As he watched her take off her shoes near the door and place them on the mat, the silver-haired male couldn't help but wonder if he should consider her sudden appearance to be some sort of red flag, especially given how serious she seemed to be. Naoto was, of course, a fairly serious individual by nature, but even the young detective didn't often carry herself in a manner quite as tense as this. It was making Souji worry.

"Naoto?" he called softly, approaching the dark-haired female from behind. "What happened? Just how... sensitive is this matter?"

Naoto paused, hesitance clear in her voice as she responded, "I suppose that would depend on how you are using the word 'sensitive'..."

Frowning in response, Souji leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, looking the detective up and down. She was still far too tense for his liking, and the hopes that she might calm down once safely inside his uncle's house faded quickly. Something about the look in her eyes was making the unease that she felt extend to him, and he was forced to keep a careful grip on his composure. What if the issue was related to the case? What if she was in danger? So many possible reasons for what could go _wrong_ shot through his mind at once that he almost forgot he needed to speak. "If my uncle were to walk in right now... would you be comfortable talking about this where he could hear?"

A moment of silence passed as Naoto processed the question before she shook her head with a sigh. "No... this matter relates to only the two of us, and I'd much rather we continued somewhere private where we won't be overheard or interrupted."

"I see..." The silver-eyed male nodded once and glanced toward the hallway, gesturing to it with one hand. "Perhaps we should talk upstairs then? Uncle Dojima and Nanako usually announce themselves when they get home. We'd have time to react and come back down if they came home early."

"Upstairs?" The detective peered into the hallway and looked up the staircase, a sudden blush spreading across her cheeks a few seconds later. "You mean your... bedroom?"

"Well, yes," Souji nodded. "I'm not exactly comfortable with the idea of us using Nanako's room for this meeting." A soft and strained chuckle followed his statement that was not at all returned by the sleuth who shuffled awkwardly where she stood.

"I... that's fine. If that is what is required to have this talk, then I've no choice but to comply. Please, lead the way."

"If it helps, I promise to remain a gentleman throughout your visit. No jokes or television pranks this time." The silver-haired male offered another faint smile which, much to his pleasure, was awkwardly returned by the young detective who followed him to the second floor in silence.

Much to Naoto's surprise, Souji's room was ideally neat and tidy. Books were lined up nearly upon his bookshelf and no extra rubbish sat upon the floor. The only particular "mess" of note that she was able to see was a rather large pile of paper cranes in varying sizes sitting upon the coffee table next to a half-built model robot. Briefly, her gaze lingered on them as she tried to identify the model, but the distraction was short-lived as she felt Souji move past her and the purpose of her visit took over her train of thought.

"Your room is quite clean," the sleuth commented as she stepped further inside and glanced around. "I admit, I'm impressed. Of course, I've never been inside a male's room before aside from Grampa and Yakushiji-san... but I've heard they're quite messy. However, I'm not here to rate the condition of which you keep your room. I've questions to ask, and I would appreciate if the answers continue the honesty you have been so kind to offer me up until this point."

With a nod, Souji motioned to the couch pressed up against the wall and took a step back, waiting for Naoto to move first. "Let's sit down then, hm? We'll be more comfortable."

Waiting for Naoto to take her seat first, the silver-haired teen walked over to the couch and sat down beside the sleuth quietly. It wasn't until the other tensed faintly and straightened herself on the sofa that he realised the position they were in. How many times during his previous year in Inaba had the two of them sat in these very seats? How many times had Naoto shyly looked toward the floor and uttered a soft 'I love you' in response to his own warm voicing of his feelings? How many soft kisses? Hugs? Hours spent simply sitting in close contact and enjoying one another's company as they spoke about anything and everything from what had happened in their classes to the murder cases and even to ideas for dates that, someday when things were peaceful again, they might be able to take pleasure in. The thoughts made his heart ache with silent longing for a brief moment before Naoto's voice broke through his bittersweet thoughts.

"... There has been something that seems to have settled itself in my mind since our previous unplanned encounter at the hospital," she paused for a moment, watching Souji out of the corner of her eye as if to make sure he was paying attention. "I was unable to ignore the matter and your absence during your school trip didn't help me eliminate the issue from my mind by any means. If anything, I believe that it somehow made it worse."

"The hospital?" Souji repeated in confusion, "What—oh." He hesitated, his tone slipping into one of guilt. "If this is about Sayoko..."

Naoto held up a hand, cutting Souji off before he could finish. "In a sense, she is indirectly part of the problem."

"Indirectly?"

The young detective's expression changed, a look of deep thought crossing her features as she tried to properly word what she wished to express in her mind. While interrogations and confrontations were part of her job as a detective, talking with others over personal matters like this had always been something she lacked the talent for. Speaking with her grandfather or the estate's secretary was one thing, but the bizarre relationship that connected herself and the male beside her was a strange one, and she still wasn't quite sure how to fully handle it. "...First and foremost, there is something I would like to know," she paused and raised her gaze from the ground to meet Souji's directly. "What is your relationship with that nurse?"

Without batting an eye, the silverette met Naoto's eyes without any hesitation. Something about the way she was asking, her tone and the way she was holding herself, made him know that he couldn't afford to make any slips of the tongue. It risked letting everything fall apart, and there was no way he would allow that to happen. Not after he'd worked so hard to build up everything they had now. "We're just friends. She flirts with me – and I'm fairly sure a few of the other staff members – because it's her way of dealing with her problems and coping with the stress of her job. She's a bit jaded, I suppose, and that's making her forget why she became a nurse in the first place. Right now... I'm just trying to help her remember why that was while earning some extra money as an evening janitor. But... it is harmless. Awkward, sure, but harmless. I always decline her advances." He shook his head, "Though that doesn't seem to stop her."

"I see..." Naoto offered a slow nod in response, seeming to accept the answer he'd given to her. "Regardless of what her intentions are or were, I... I didn't like what I saw that night. Not in the slightest. Not only was it completely rude and indecent on her part – and most certainly not something that should be done in a work environment, let alone a hospital – but..." She trailed off and looked down, giving the floor a hard glare.

"It wasn't the poor conduct that affected you most, was it?" Souji asked softly, reaching out to place his hand on Naoto's shoulder. "What is it? You can tell be as bluntly as you need to. Don't worry about making it sound proper. We're friends, right? There's no need to censor yourself for me. I know you're not trying to offend me."

At first, the sleuth didn't make any effort to respond. Her fists clenched atop her knees as her glare hardened and she bit the inside of her cheek, carefully shoving down the sudden urge she had to start shouting. It just didn't make any sense. She could barely even understand what she was doing here or why she was speaking about any of this. It shouldn't have mattered. Whatever Souji might have implied their relationship had been before, that wasn't what it was _now,_ which only proved to make her current emotions more confusing. Souji was hardly a child, and she was certain he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself without the assistance of others. So that lead to the question of why? _Why_ did she care at all?

"You would be correct in that assumption. It… it was merely the action itself, not just her person. I didn't..." she paused, taking a moment to inhale slowly, "... I didn't like it by any means; none of it. It was almost physically painful to consider what might have become of the situation if you two had actually been... No, that shouldn't matter. You've already confirmed that the actions meant nothing, and yet... The thoughts just won't seem to leave my head. They haven't for several days now... and they're causing pain-" she placed a hand over her chest "-in this region."

Souji could only stare in shock as he watched the movement of Naoto's hand. He didn't want to allow himself to believe it; it would only prove to cause him more pain later when his hopes were shattered, and yet now, looking at her, he couldn't stop the feeling. "... you were jealous..."

A faint frown tugged at the sleuth's lips as she glanced at Souji out of the corner of her eye. Somewhere in the pit of her stomach, something churned uncomfortably at the mention of the word and she found herself gazing at the floor once more. "I highly doubt it is that," she shook her head slowly. "I just... No, rather... Why _would_ I be? There is absolutely no reason for me to experience such a feeling."

"Well," the silver-haired male began hesitantly, leaning against the back of the sofa. "We've been talking almost every day recently, haven't we? The school trip was the first time we were separated from each other in over a month."

"That is to be expected, is it not? We do not live together, nor do we have any extracurricular reasons outside of the case that require we see one another – and the case is only something I am participating with you by choice. It is not required that I collaborate with you. In any case, the school trip was after the fact. I do not see how it would have affected the event in question."

"I suppose," Souji nodded slowly, feeling his chest clench painfully at Naoto's bluntness statement of their current relationship. "But we're friends, aren't we? Since when do friends need a reason to spend time together?"

"W-well..." Naoto hesitated for a moment, then shifted one of her shoulders upward in a light shrug. "Your point is valid enough; from what I understand, friendship is not something which requires contract nor reasoning."

"Exactly, but that's not really the point."

"Might I inquire to exactly what it is, then?"

"... How long have you been feeling like that? The, ah, jealous-like feeling. Was it something that started at the hospital, or was the feeling less prominent before then?"

Shifting in her seat, Naoto sighed before leaning back. The question caused the feeling in her stomach to return and she would have been much happier to avoid it all together. "... Would my answer change the results of what the cause is?"

"It might shed some light on it," the male teen answered casually, "given we're still trying to figure it out."

The sleuth considered Souji's response before she nodded reluctantly and slowly felt her resolve start to fade away. "Yes... I suppose that makes sense enough. You've been honest with me thus far with things that could have easily landed you in an asylum should I have taken them elsewhere. I wouldn't have given your stories thought if you'd not given me some sort of proof; though when one considers it, your story is ridiculous to the point where believing it to be truth makes more sense. After all, if you were to create a lie, why not a more believable one? The least I can do in return for your continued honesty is offer the same in return."

Souji didn't respond vocally, but instead nodded once and waited, allowing Naoto the time she needed. At first, the sleuth was completely silent and did little more than adjust herself on the couch yet again before reaching for one of the paper cranes on the table. Turning the folded bird over delicately in her fingers, the dark-haired teen allowed her shoulders to slump in a moment of weakness as she pulled her arms in closer to her sides. It was a means of defence, and Souji knew it well, yet at the same time he recognised it as a gesture he hadn't seen in quite some time; it meant she was lowering her guard. "It... was not as bad at first, the feeling, that is. Just after I left the hospital, I thought little of it. However, starting that night, just before I retired, the feeling returned to me and it continued to grow worse and worse from there."

"Do..." the silverette hesitated for a moment, then decided to on a whim, "Do the feelings seem... familiar at all? Like something that used to be there?"

"I don't... Seta-san, I realise what you are trying to imply, but I highly doubt that is the case," Naoto muttered softly. "I don't... know what is causing it. It... it has somehow implanted itself into my mind and I can't _stop_ thinking about it. Granted, yes, it is familiar, yet I know well that it is completely foreign. But what lacks logical sense is just that; the two are complete opposites. How can one feel both at the same time? It doesn't... make sense, and yet, with you, Senpai-" Both teens stiffened at the use of the old nickname, the younger of the two inhaling sharply as she dropped the paper crane.

"... It always felt like more than a title when you used that with me," Souji said in a quiet tone. His eyes fluttered closed as he raised his gaze to the ceiling, causing the bags under his eyes becoming more prominent. "It was a sign of respect, from what I could tell. We were... equals, we all were, we _always_ were... but I was always happy to hear you say that. Though I'd be lying if I didn't say I enjoyed my name more."

"You said once that two others used the same nickname. Why would my usage of it be any different?" Naoto frowned when she didn't receive an answer and leaned in closer to Souji, peering at his face. "... Have you been sleeping?"

"It was just the way you said-" the pale-eyed pale trailed off and bit the inside of his cheek. When he thought about it, he should have expected that the sleuth would notice. Observation and deduction were trademark skills of her profession; he'd expect nothing less of the 'detective prince'. With a soft groan, he opened his eyes, their faintly bloodshot appearance seemingly worse as he did so and turned to face the young female beside him. "... It's not worth lying to you. I've been... having issues sleeping lately. Nightmares... But it's fine, hones-"

"Don't lie to me."

Souji winced and nodded slowly as he stared at the floor. "They're... recurring. Always the same thing. It's... a traumatic event in my past."

"Traumatic?" Naoto repeated, watching the other carefully. "I see... From your 'previous' year? Am... I involved?"

Inhaling sharply, Souji leaned forward and brought his elbows to rest on his knees and buried his face in his hands. The memory was flashing rapidly before his eyes, and he didn't dare look at the sleuth beside him; he was too afraid she might disappear and it would all become real. "You... you called me. You were... being chased by something – something I can't begin to describe – I wouldn't... know how. I didn't... ever get to see it. But you... I-I can't... your scream... it's in my head... always... always in my head..." The silverette shivered and curled himself further forward and dug his fingers in his hair, tugging the strands.

"Seta-" Naoto paused, cutting herself off as she slowly reached forward and placed her hand on Souji's cheek, cupping it in a hesitant gesture. Her other hand worked carefully to pull both his own hands away from his hair. "-_Souji_-san. I... I am quite certain that, regardless of the past events which may have happened, they were not any fault of your own. If I were to take the risk of calling you during such a time that my life was threatened... Perhaps I have been underestimating the meaning behind your words when you claimed we were close."

Feeling himself calm down, Souji turned and leaned into the sleuth's touch, allowing his eyes to flutter closed. "I... never stopped blaming myself for that, Naoto. My fault or not, the guilt... never left. This our second chance, our _only_ chance, to make things right again. I can't mess up; there's too much at stake." He sighed and opened his eyes, gazing at Naoto's wrist blankly. "I'm only trying to do what I believe must be done to make sure things are better than when I arrived. I couldn't care less what happens to me during all of that."

"Sou-" Naoto froze, unable to complete her train of thought as the silverette's face suddenly shifted up towards her own and she noticed the thin, watery trails falling down his cheeks.

"So long as you and my friends are happy – and _alive _– when I leave... then that's all that matters. I'll have no regrets."

Something inside of Naoto seemed to shift suddenly and, despite how distressed the situation had been causing her, she could not help but feel oddly calm. Unable to stop herself, Naoto leaned forward further and grabbed the others cheek between her palms and forced him to meet her gaze. " I _want_ to understand this – all of this – these emotions, this situation, this _room,_ the effects it all has on me... I want to understand it. Do you realise how frustrating it is to know you're able to remember so much, yet I can do little more than stand in the dark and trust you blindly on an instinctual feeling I'd not had before now? Yet I can't _stop._ I can't seem to _stop_ this trust. When I think of questioning you – of casting doubt – I feel disgusted with myself. _Why?"_

"... Heh," Souji chuckled weakly in an attempt to dispel some of the tension that was rapidly growing in the room. "It'd be like questioning Sherlock Holmes, most likely."

"Sherlock—I beg your pardon? I'm... not following your analogy. How does a detective of fiction relate to this?"

"It's nothing, don't worry about it. But, Naoto..." Souji's expression turned serious. "It sounds to me like part of you remembers something. Maybe just a fragment... but _something_ does. The feelings, the sensations, the you that you used to be..." His voice trailed off as his eyebrows furrowed and he frowned. _I don't get this... Is it her Persona? Could a Persona's memory be more solid than that of a human? More stable? But that wouldn't make sense... Why would she have memories shared with Yamato-Takeru? No... __she started with Sukuna-Hikona. But even then... She's not yet met her Shadow._

"I don't see how that's logically possible. From what you've told me, the others have not been affected by the memories taken from them of the year you claim to have passed, and neither do I. I still do not yet know if you are merely playing me for a fool, but..." Naoto paused and looked down, her hands still on Souji's cheek. "... It is impossible, but it is as if... No, that sounds ridiculous."

"Maybe, maybe not. It can't be any more-so than the things I've told you," Souji shrugged lightly. "You're a detective. Instinct and gut are just as important as evidence... according to my uncle, at least."

"Well, yes..." Naoto nodded and offered Souji a weak smile. "Perhaps your uncle is wiser than I've given him credit for. He would be correct; a detective's instinct can often be the vital requirement in a tough situation to save the life of themselves or, at times, civilians."

"They also don't try to dodge the issues..."

Naoto winced and her gaze fluttered down to her lap. "... Sometimes the smart ones do. Or perhaps they are the more foolish. It is difficult to tell between the two at times."

"Speak your feelings then; talk it out."

"Talk it out? That's... much easier said than done, Seta-san. It makes even less sense than your 'repeated year' theory," Naoto smiled wryly and straightened herself on the couch.

Slowly, she lifted her body and moved a few inches closer to the silverette before sitting back down and reaching out unconsciously to cup his cheek once more. Souji remained perfectly still as he watched the sleuth shift around. Her movements barely registered in his mind as his gaze remained focused on hers. Their position seemed so natural to him, it was something he remembered so well and had missed so dearly, having it linger in front of him teasingly was almost _painful,_ but he knew better than to act on instinct. Right now, for him at least, that would ruin everything. "Then perhaps..." he spoke softly, his voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid his full tone might frighten the detective away, "you should take action to express those feelings instead."

"Actions, Set... Souji-san?" The title changed abruptly, but smoothly. The name – his name – felt so much more natural on her lips that way. His surname didn't seem _right,_ not for her to use, anyway. After all that had happened, even if it was barely over a month at most, it felt so stiff, so formal; so _wrong._ "I don't understand. What sort of actions does one take to express confusion? Something foreign to them..."

Souji hesitated, thinking his words over carefully before he spoke, "Let's simplify things a bit, since they're complicated right now," his tone had turned cautious by now. Everything he said felt as if the wrong phrase would cause the ground beneath them to crumble, sending them into an endless chasm that would be impossible to climb back out of. "...What do _you_ feel like doing right now? That voice, the one you trust, what is it telling you to do?"

"I..." Naoto swallowed thickly as her lips parted. Sentences were becoming harder and harder to form and her gaze was constantly moving from the top to the bottom of Souji's face. It was as if she just couldn't _help_ but look _down. _"I feel..." She leaned forward a few inches more, listening to the soft cooing in the back of her mind. "... If I were to ask you the same question, what would you say? What would you do?"

"Me?" The silver-haired male angled his head a fraction, eyes half-lidded. "I would just... follow my instincts. Whatever they told me."

"I see... Do instincts often come to you as a 'voice'?"

Smiling faintly, hope shot through Souji as his earlier suspicions of the voice being what he could only assume was Naoto's unformed Persona – perhaps even her forming Shadow – was confirmed. It wasn't the most ethical means of approaching the topic, but it did work, and it seemed to be what Naoto was able to make sense of, so he ran with it. "Sometimes... Like when you can sense danger moments before it happens, or when you have a bad feeling about a location and decide not to go in. Or even when they tell you to go somewhere or do something. Things of that nature..." He paused, sucking his cheeks in as he asked softly, "Do you... trust yours to not lead you down the wrong path?"

Naoto chuckled and licked her lips, offering Souji another faint smile. "Given all that has been happening as of late, trusting a voice in my own head seems the least dangerous or worrisome. ... It's just so familiar, and yet... I'm certain I've never heard this voice before now. Is that strange? Perhaps it makes me sound mad, though... I suppose you wouldn't consider hearing a voice to be considered a sign of 'madness' given your current position and after-school endeavours to Junes."

"I believe I said you're the least mad out of anyone I know. I still hold to that unconditionally." With a soft sigh, Souji closed his eyes and remained still. Hearing the sleuth say it now, perhaps he was the one going mad. What if this entire situation was just little more than a dream? In minutes, maybe even seconds, his alarm clock might go off and pull him from the quiet sanctuary the sofa was currently offering them and it would all be little more than a blurred memory. How many times had he sat there with Naoto before? The same distance from one another, the same room, the same house... It was all the same. All save for the relationship just out of his grasp he still treasured.

"I see... You must know some fairly unstable persons if a kid detective is to be considered the normal and sane one. ... I truly don't understand this, any of it. The voice is shouting, _screaming_ for me to do something, and somehow, despite how rash and illogical it is... I'm not scared."

"Not everything is as scary as it seems at first. When we finally face the things we're worried about, it sometimes turns out there was never anything to fear."

"...That is true enough," Naoto murmured and inhaled slowly, feeling her pulse suddenly quicken as she moved the hand cupping Souji's cheek to his shoulder. "Souji-san? If Fortune-" she paused, wondering why she had said that of all words, but quickly continued after, "-were to present herself to you and grant one wish... What would you ask for?"

"If I could have anything?" Souji opened his eyes, feeling several tears escape the solid grasp he thought he'd had on them. "... I'd wish that you had your memory back."

"You're a fool," the sleuth inhaled sharply, feeling her own eyes begin to sting painfully. "A fool. You could wish for anything at all, anything, to catch the culprit, riches, _anything,_ and yet you would..." Her voice hitched the octave jumping up to that of its natural feminine tone, making Souji jump in surprise. He never thought he'd hear _that_ voice again, not this soon. "Souji-san, I..."

"Nao-" He wasn't able to finish; Naoto had closed the remaining distance between them before she had lost her nerve. The silverette's pale eyes widened in shock as his mind clumsily stumbled over the situation the two of them were suddenly in. His heart had begun to flutter rapidly and sent his pulse racing through his veins in unbelieving excitement. He hadn't realised he'd moved his arms until they were already around the young detective's shoulders; strong enough to pull her against his chest, but weak enough that she might pull away if she wished to do so.

In response, Naoto shifted herself just enough so that she was able to raise her arms and wrap them around Souji's neck and lean forward against his chest. Everything about what she was doing was _wrong,_ ridiculously so, she knew she shouldn't have been kissing anyone, let alone a boy she'd met just last month and showed her as many things as he had. Yet every reason the sleuth managed to come up with for _not_ doing so was quickly erased from her mind in favour of pushing just a little closer, oblivious to her cap falling to the floor between them.

A sudden beep caused Souji's eyes to flutter open as a pale blue glow formed at the fingertips of their left hands and slowly moved down past their knuckles and palms before settling on their wrists. He blinked in confusion, torn between curiosity and the warmth spreading rapidly through his body from their lips. Cautiously, he inhaled through his nose when he felt his lungs begin to strain, not daring to pull away for concern of ruining the moment, when suddenly, Naoto went unnaturally rigid.

Fearing for the worst, Souji pulled back and opened his mouth to apologise, but the words died in his throat when he saw the sleuth begin to shake violently. His eyes widened in shock as he released his grip on her and placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to keep the dark-haired female from collapsing forward, as she suddenly seemed incapable of holding her own weight up. "N-Naoto? Naoto! What-"

Unable to respond, Naoto's body convulsed, strangled gasps escaping her throat as her fingers and arms jerked and twitched, giving off the appearance like that of someone suffering from a seizure. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and a final noise of pain filled the room before she suddenly collapsed, falling limp in Souji's tense grasp. Horrified, the pale-haired teen stood up, carefully lying the other down across the length of his sofa and glanced fretfully between his friend's unconscious body and the door. What could he do – what _should_ he do? Each and every worst-case scenario was rushing through his mind, making him feel sick to his stomach.

"Naoto..." Souji muttered, brushing her hair out of her eyes. He could feel the faint brush of her breath over his palm, but it was doing little to comfort him. She was still alive, admittedly, and that was the best thing he could have asked for, yet after what had just happened... part of the silver-haired teen was terrified she might not be for much longer. "... I'm so sorry, I don't know what's going on. I... I..."

The sleuth was cold to the touch, icily so, and that was what motivated his fear to grow. It wasn't natural, if anything, Naoto currently felt like that of a corpse. Swallowing his own growing unease, the silverette leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the sleuth as best he could without shifting her. His head rest gently upon her shoulder, and his torso lightly laid across hers, the bulk of his weight having been shifted to his knees to avoid causing any harm. Then slowly, painfully slowly, he felt the detective's body begin to warm up. "Naoto..."

* * *

A soft groan escaped Naoto's lips as she opened her eyes and sat up, feeling a rush of nausea shoot through her. Her stomach turned uncomfortably as she tried to regain her bearing, not liking the odd sensation of moving backwards that had settled over her. The darkness wasn't helping either; why on earth would Souji have turned off all the lights? Or maybe it was night-time? With a sigh, the sleuth moved to stand up but was suddenly stopped as the sound of movement in front of her made her jump.

"Welcome," an unfamiliar voice said, "to the Velvet Room."


	17. For the Readers

Hello, everyone…

First and foremost, I must apologise to all of you for my long leave of absence. Unfortunately, this update is not a chapter, but I believe I owe everyone an explanation as to why it has taken me so long to update…

My life has been… hectic as of February of last year. I was in a very… mentally abusive relationship that I will not divulge the details of, but needless to say, that took a very nasty toll on my mental state. Most of my summer was spent working in a desperate attempt to gain enough money so that I would be able to afford university fees, and this past semester was very work-heavy. I was in two 400-level classes, on top of three more 300-levels, one of which had a lab. My dormitory life was… hard. Admittedly. There were some issues with people I knew within the building that made my living there unpleasant, and I do apologise for the vague details about this. For most of the semester I felt as if I didn't exist, and given I only had one friend at the time, that was… hard. I did finally manage to join a club and make a small group of wonderful friends, and for them, I am more than thankful. Had I not met them, I may have ended up taking a much worse down-spill than I could have before.

Classes were stressful, and with the stress, my health fell as well. If that was not enough, over the course of the semester, one of my suitemates passed away on campus, and not even a week later, one of my best friends passed away as well after being struck by a vehicle while crossing the street. I can begin to explain how much this managed to shake my ability to focus on… most everything, and with exams and projects that needed doing, I had almost no downtime for breaks. The little amount of time I had to myself was spent hiding away on tumblr or playing videogames, as it was all that would really bring my mood up and give me some sort of escape from the world.

I know this isn't an excuse, nor am I asking you to take it as one, but I do owe all of you a reason for why this story has not been updated.

The next chapter is about fifty-percent done, and I'm trying to work out how I want it to go without rushing anything. I still have my chapter map, but I ended up re-writing a good deal of what I had already… If I am going to take this long, I owe you all a chapter of the best quality I am able to produce.

I thank all of you who took the time to read this… and I'm very sorry…


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